A groundbreaking project in Mexico has unlocked a new era in wheat breeding, offering a glimmer of hope for global food security. But here's where it gets controversial: the project's success hinges on a radical shift in mindset, challenging traditional breeding methods.
In Toluca, Mexico, researchers have developed elite wheat parental lines with enhanced disease resistance. These lines are like the secret ingredients in a recipe, quickly adding specific traits to breeding programs. The project targeted two major fungal diseases, septoria tritici blotch (STB) and spot blotch (SB), which are becoming more prevalent due to climate change, threatening wheat production in Southeast Asia and Africa.
Developing resistance to these diseases is no easy feat. It requires the combined effort of multiple genes, resulting in a complex, quantitative resistance that traditional breeding methods struggle to achieve.
Traditionally, breeders had to wait several years to evaluate plant performance in the field before selecting parents for the next generation. However, this project introduced a game-changing, data-driven approach. Instead of waiting for field results, breeders now use DNA data to predict performance and make earlier decisions, a method known as genomic selection.
This innovative approach shortens breeding cycles significantly. Breeders can now produce multiple generations within the same timeframe, ultimately delivering resistant wheat varieties to farmers faster and having a greater impact on food security over time.
For the targeted diseases, the project has achieved a transformative step-change in resistance. The CIMMYT experimental station in Toluca provides ideal conditions for selecting genotypes resistant to foliar diseases.
But here's the part most people miss: this project serves as a proof of concept, with results that can be applied to other wheat breeding programs worldwide. Parents can now be recycled after just three years, compared to the previous 5-7 years. Favourable genes accumulate faster, accelerating genetic progress, and breeding cycles are shorter, leading to improved varieties reaching farmers sooner.
Susanne Dreisigacker, Wheat Molecular Geneticist and Project Lead at CIMMYT, explains, "This new concept is gaining acceptance among breeders. I believe a mindset change is definitely happening. That's the most important outcome for me."
Dreisigacker's team is already building on this success with a new project targeting specific diseases in key regions. In South Asia, they focus on Spot Blotch, while in South Africa, it's Septoria. "As these parent lines enter mainstream breeding, we can deliver better products. It's like baking a cake with a ready-made mix. You know the dough is perfect, so you can focus on adding the unique ingredients," she says.
Colleagues' feedback has been positive. "Now, the response is, 'We need to do this for other diseases too.' Support comes from various angles, with our pathology team fully committed to seeing the improvement."
This reflects a real paradigm shift. "Conceptually, acceptance wasn't there before. Now, it's a completely different story. There's a heightened awareness that this is possible, and definitely more interest in following through."
CGIAR is now leading the global development of this technique, with international interest from universities and advanced research institutes. Training events have showcased the technique to increase knowledge within the CGIAR-partner breeding network.
Looking ahead, future funding is crucial to continue modernizing national partners' capacity for high-quality breeding, investing in under-resourced national breeding programs, expanding this approach to additional crops, and addressing complex climate challenges that require the accumulation of multiple adaptive traits.
The Crops to End Hunger initiative, which began in 2018, is currently in its Phase III, funded by GIZ. The program modernizes breeding programs and networks in partnership with National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES). It invests in upgrading facilities, building staff capacity, and developing tools to accelerate crop breeding. This modernization will enable the development and availability of new, improved varieties to smallholders faster.
So, what do you think? Is this a game-changer for global food security? Or is it too good to be true? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
