New wheat variety offers higher resiliency and more nutrients

Jun 10, 2020

Wheat may soon have a new reputation in the marketplace and on the menu, thanks to recent breeding efforts.

Researchers at Cornell University developed a variety with higher resiliency and enhanced nutrition compared to conventional wheat, an April American Society of Agronomy release said. The group also trialled a cheaper and quicker breeding method compared to traditional approaches.

This new wheat variety has increased fructan levels, which bring twofold benefits.

Fructans, which are long chains of the sugar fructose, cannot be digested by humans, making this polymer a good source of fibre, the release said. These chains promote healthy gut bacteria, too. Fructans also make plants more tolerant of salty soils and cold temperatures, the release said.

In contrast to the more standard time- and resource-intensive phenotyping for crop breeding, scientists used genomic selection to develop this variety. Genomic selection uses a statistical model to predict plant characteristics instead of data on observed characteristics.

The study is published in the February edition of the journal Crop Science.

Viorika/E+ photo

Video: $400m loss to save $3.8m? The real cost of closing Canada's research farms | Agri cmte, 10 Feb 2026

Officials are forced to defend cutting a historic $3.8 million research farm while the government simultaneously funded an $8.5 million cricket factory that went bankrupt. Is this evidence of an incoherent spending strategy? Watch the full committee clash to see the government's official rationale.

A heated discussion erupts over the logic behind the government's cuts to AAFC research farms in Lacombe, Indian Head, and Quebec City. MPs question why core, decades-old scientific infrastructure is being deemed 'not core' while other, controversial programs were funded. The Deputy Minister is repeatedly pressed for the actual net savings of the decision versus the expense of relocating research programs.