The University of Saskatchewan has been granted $8.5 million to lead an international wheat genetics research project.

The Canadian Triticum Advancement through Genomics project (CTAG) aims to create better varieties of wheat - a crop worth more than $4 billion annually in Canada, reported The Star Phoenix.

"This research is timely and necessary, and supports other international efforts in providing Canadian wheat breeders with tools and resources to accelerate wheat improvement to meet the global challenge of increased food production," said Wilf Keller, president and CEO of Genome Prairie, in a Friday news release.