Research

Bacterial Leaf streak is an emerging disease that has been reported in many cereal-growing regions of the world. The disease has become a recurring problem in the upper midwest of the United States since the early 2000's; currently it is… Read More

In terms of salt tolerance, evidence suggests that key root adaptations underlying barley resistance to salinity include limiting uptake of sodium into the root and sequestrating into root vacuoles to limit sodium movement to the shoot. GABA may play a… Read More

Currently evaluation of moisture resilience by variety is not available for producers, in spite of moisture being the most probable cause for yield reductions. This project will evaluate the performance of MCVET varieties under extreme moisture conditions. Read More

Generating barley varieties with enhanced FHB resistance is complex because multiple fungal compounds and plant genes influence disease severity. We recently discovered a fungal compound called gramillin that promotes FHB severity in barley and is toxic to plants, killing cells… Read More

Preliminary observations in Dr. Bakker’s lab have revealed that there are trichomes on the inner surface of the hull; these have never been explored for potential interactions with Fusarium growth. Using field-grown barley, including multiple different lines and varieties, we… Read More

This project aims to establish a simple, rapid and cost-efficient seed testing protocol by using a novel technique, named loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Meanwhile, a greenhouse/growth cabinet disease evaluation method will be developed to screen barley germplasm for resistance, and… Read More

The deliverables of this project will complement other national and international efforts for the identification of virulence genes in F. graminearum, which are mainly focused on reverse genetic studies, meanwhile it exemplifies the necessity of integrating forward and reverse genetics… Read More