Farmers Get More from CIMMYT Durum Wheat

Here is a piece of good news for durum wheat farmers around the world. The International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT) has been breeding new durum lines that are disease-resistant and of high quality. The CIMMYT team realized that farmers in developing countries need high quality and marketable grain for them to improve their livelihoods.

Breeding itself is a cyclical process of combination and selection until the breeder is satisfied that all required characteristics have been incorporated into the new wheat plants. The first goal was to develop leaf rust resistance in durum wheat. After the CIMMYT team accomplished this feat, they focused on enhancing the performance of the wheat varieties under drought stress and incorporating resistance to other diseases. Next is making the best possible wheat varieties from all other perspectives – including the yield, color and quality of the gluten in durum wheat grains. The best durum wheat lines in the CIMMYT breeding station will then be sent to national programs for evaluation.

Read more on durum wheat at http://www.cimmyt.org/english/wps/news/2007/mar/yieldBack.htm.