Optimising genetic control of wheat rusts through novel approaches

Cereal rusts continue to be a significant constraint for Australian grain growers, with chemical control relied on to limit losses. However, with the drive for sustainability it is likely that there will be increased pressure to reduce chemical use. One way to future-proof Australian wheat production against rusts is to increase the pathotype-independent durable genetic resistance of wheat. This tender is for one of the seven outputs forming the Australian Cereal Rust Control Program (ACRCP) Phase 5 investments. The ACRCP Phase 5 investments aim to enable the development of new wheat varieties that are both high yielding and have higher levels of genetic resistance to stripe, stem and leaf rusts. This tender is for the development of proof of concept, and to establish the value proposition, for novel technologies that can improve durable rust resistance in wheat.