In May, MCA research program manager for cereal crops Lauren Gislason attended the 4^th International Wheat Congress (IWC4) in Bologna, Italy, which reinforced the value of international collaboration in advancing wheat research.

While the scientific topics were diverse, common themes included climate resilience, disease management, sustainable production and application of new technologies. The conference also highlighted that many countries share Canada’s challenges, including reduced research investment, emerging production risks and the need to strengthen pathways that translate research into practical benefits for producers.

Observations and opportunities

• IWC4 showcased the breadth of current global wheat research, with sessions focused on sustainable production systems, wheat breeding and genetics, genomics and genome editing, climate resilience, disease and pest management, digital agriculture and phenotyping, soil health, and reducing the environmental footprint of wheat production. Across these topics, there was a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches and international collaboration to address emerging challenges facing the wheat sector.
• International partners are facing many of the same challenges as Canada, including declining public investment in agricultural research, climate variability, evolving disease and pest pressures, and the need to attract and retain the next generation of agricultural scientists.
• Collaborative funding models are becoming increasingly important to support large, complex wheat research initiatives. Discussions emphasized that successful international partnerships rely on trust, co-development of research priorities and regular communication among funders and researchers.
• The “last mile” of research remains a universal challenge. While scientific collaboration is often strong, ensuring research outcomes are translated into practical tools and improved varieties that are adopted by farmers requires continued investment in extension and knowledge transfer.
• Supporting Canadian researchers’ participation at international conferences provides significant value through networking, exposure to emerging research and technologies, information sharing, and the development of new international collaborations that can strengthen Canadian wheat research.
• There may be opportunities to strengthen engagement among research funders, both internationally and within Canada, through dedicated funder workshops and renewed national forums, such as the Canadian Wheat Symposium, to encourage collaboration, reduce duplication and improve co-ordination of research investments.