Poster # 501

Pawan K. Singh¹, Xinyao He¹, Jemal Tola Horo², and Maricelis Acevedo³
1. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), El Batan, Mexico
2. Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Ambo, Ethiopia
3. Cornell University, SIPS Plant Pathology & Plant-Microbe Biology Section , Ithaca, NY, U.S.
Corresponding Author: Email: Maricelis Acevedo, ma934@cornell.edu.

Acevedo, Maricelis

ma934@cornell.edu

The Global Wheat Health Alliance (GWHA) project addresses the growing threat of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), wheat blast, and rusts to global wheat production, food security, and safety. By linking Advanced Research Institutes (ARIs), National Agricultural Research Systems (NARES), and the CGIAR Global Wheat Program, GWHA aims to accelerate the discovery, validation, and deployment of disease resistance genes. The project's primary objective—especially for FHB—is to develop wheat varieties with enhanced, stable resistance for improved yields and grain quality. GWHA will harness advanced genetic technologies, including gene stacking and genome editing, to leverage both existing and newly discovered resistance sources, integrating well-characterized genes like Fhb1, Fhb5, and Fhb7, quantitative trait loci (QTL) such as Qfhb.cim-2D, and novel loci identified through genomics. Strategic efforts also focus on removing resistance inhibitors and susceptibility factors for maximum gene effectiveness. Accelerated pre-breeding and breeding pipelines, particularly benefitting vulnerable regions such as East Africa and South Asia, will enable rapid release of improved, locally adapted varieties. The project also strengthens local and regional research capabilities for long-term sustainability and resilience. Within three years, GWHA expects to expand current global collaborations to significantly reduce wheat disease risks, safeguard food production for vulnerable populations, and future-proof breeding against evolving pathogens.

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