Cracking the Code of Pre-Harvest Sprouting
Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a major global issue affecting cereal crops like wheat and barley. It occurs when grains begin to germinate on the plant before harvest due to environmental triggers like moisture and humidity, combined with genetic factors such as low seed dormancy. This premature sprouting degrades starch, reducing grain quality and leading to significant economic losses鈥攅stimated at $1 billion globally, and $100 million annually in Canada.
Traditional breeding efforts have struggled to produce PHS-resistant varieties, largely due to a misunderstanding: PHS and germination are not the same process. Dr. Jaswinder Singh, a plant science professor at 蘑菇短视频, is leading a research team that鈥檚 taking a novel approach by focusing on epigenetics and early-stage molecular markers.
Instead of analyzing mature plants at harvest, Singh鈥檚 team is identifying markers at the four-leaf stage, which could predict PHS resistance much earlier in the season. They鈥檝e discovered a small DNA segment that correlates with PHS tolerance in 85鈥�90% of cases, offering a promising tool for future breeding programs.