Scientists Develop Heat-resistant Durum Wheat
An Italian scientist has succeeded to develop a set of durum wheat varieties that can grow in extreme hot weather conditions.
A “crazy idea” has resulted in the ability to grow durum wheat in the extreme heat of famine-affected Senegal, Mauritania and Mali, potentially boosting the income for 1 million farming families, and therefore winning the 2017 Olam Prize for Innovation in Food Security.
The genome fingerprinting research project was led by Dr Filippo Bassi of the International Centre for Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and Professor Rodomiro Ortiz (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – SLU, Alnarp), and funded by the Swedish Research Council. The scientists used non-GM molecular breeding techniques to develop a set of durum wheat varieties that can withstand constant 35-40 degree heat along the savannah of the Senegal River basin.
In this region, farmers grow rice for eight months of the year, but the land remains unproductive for the other four months. The new durum varieties have therefore been developed to grow super-fast so that farmers can grow the wheat between rice seasons, which could produce 600,000 tons of new food, equivalent to 175 servings of pasta per person per year in the region, and could generate USD210m in additional income for the farmers.
Through ICARDA’s policy of sharing all germplasm and IP (identity preservation) freely with developing countries, the discovery also has wide adaptation potential for other areas hit by increasing temperatures. This ground-breaking research was therefore voted by a panel of expert judges as the winner of the Olam Prize for Innovation in Food Security – an international prize launched by the global agri-business in partnership with the Agropolis Fondation.
Dr. Bassi commented: “When we had the idea five years ago, people thought we were a bit crazy so we are thrilled to see our vision of introducing durum wheat into this region recognized by the Olam prize. I would like to give special thanks to our supporting partners U-Forsk2013, CNARAD, ISRA, Université Mohammed V, and SLU Sweden. By working closely with the farmers, we have gained their trust as they can see the benefit of planting this crop which can be easily cultivated with minimum investment.”
Photo explanation: Dr Bassi and his research team at the durum wheat genome fingerprinting research project, Senegal