Scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have discovered a gene that can be used to engineer wheat varieties that are resistant to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), also known as scab. FHB is a major threat to wheat crops all over the world. The new gene is called Fhb7 and its discovery is a major advance in addressing the threat to the world’s wheat supply.

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Scab is caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. When the pathogen grows unchecked, infected grains release mycotoxins that can cause vomiting in humans and weight loss in livestock due to the livestock refusing to eat the wheat.

The prevalence and severity of scab outbreaks could be worsened by climate change and varying weather conditions. It is also aggravated by an increasing trend in more corn production and no-till farming. When facing a scab problem, farmers are forced to used fungicides to reduce the damage.

Fhb7 was originally identified in Thinpryum wheatgrass, a relative of wheatgrass that has been used to develop varieties of wheat with beneficial traits, like rust resistance and drought tolerance. The gene effectively reduces FHB by detoxifying the mycotoxins secreted by pathogens.

The team cloned Fhb7 and introduced it into seven wheat cultivars with different genetic profiles. They then studied the gene’s effects on plants grown in fields. The results of this study confirmed that the new plants were resistant to scab and the gene had no negative effects on the yield or other significant traits.

Scientists say that new varieties of FHB resistant wheat with Fhb7 will be available in the next few years.

A paper on this research was published in Science.