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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Cereal Disease Lab » Research » Research Project #449653
Research Project: Improving Durum Wheat Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight Using Genome Editing Technology

Location: Cereal Disease Lab

Project Number: 5062-21220-024-017-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jul 20, 2026
End Date: Jul 19, 2028

Objective:
1. Establish a simple and effective protocol for editing durum wheat genes through doubled haploid (DH) production and genome editing. 2. Knock out genes related to susceptibility to Fusarium head blight (FHB) in durum wheat. 3. Develop gene-edited DH lines with improved FHB resistance in durum wheat.

Approach:
Doubled haploid (DH) durum wheat lines will be developed by crossing durum wheat with transgenic maize lines expressing genome editing components targeting wheat genes conferring susceptibility to Fusarium head blight. Gene-edited DH lines with FHB resistance will be confirmed and used as new durum germplasm in durum wheat breeding programs.