Biotech Updates

WSU Seeking Patent on Root Rot-Resistant Wheat

October 5, 2007

Washington State University (WSU) is seeking international patent protection for its new wheat cultivar, Scarlet RZ1. The new genotype is believed to be the first to have resistance to the Rhizoctonia root rot, a soil borne fungal disease that can reduce wheat yields by as much as 30 percent. Scarlet RZ1 was produced by treating the seeds with a chemical mutagen promoting random errors or changes in the DNA sequences. The new variety is therefore not considered as a genetically modified organism.

“This is the first wheat genotype that we know of that has tolerance to this disease,” said Kim Kidwell, WSU’s interim wheat breeder. “It’s a major problem in direct seeded spring wheat production not only in the US but also in Australia. We don’t have any means of controlling the disease aside from tillage.”

The role of the gene coding for resistance has not been fully determined but researchers are now studying the possibility of cloning the gene and transferring it to other wheat varieties as well as other crops such as ornamentals where Rhizoctonia root rot is a problem.

Read more at http://cahnrsnews.wsu.edu/Releases/2007/wheat-patent-2007-10.htm