Slug Resistant Wheat

抗蛞蝓小麦

• 批准号: 10054292
• 金额: $ 6.06万
• 依托单位: WICKLESHAM ESTATES
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10054292
• 关键词: Slug; Resistant; Wheat

Any gardener knows well what a nuisance slugs can be, the devastating damage they can cause and how difficult they are to control.It's the same for farmers, but on a much bigger scale -- their livelihoods depend on getting crops well established without the early grazing damage slugs cause. If they weren't controlled, slugs would cost UK farmers a whopping £100M every year.Farmers rely heavily on the use of slug pellets that contain chemicals, often spreading them as a precautionary measure. Pesticides previously used were banned because they got into drinking water or harmed beneficial insects, leaving just one now used (ferric phosphate) -- this is not sustainable and it's not good for the environment.An alternative approach is to look at the palatability of the crop. As part of a Defra-funded programme, scientists at John Innes Centre in Norwich have identified a type of wheat, that hasn't been grown for over 100 years, which may have a long-lost trait making it unpalatable to slugs. It's an exciting start, but until it's investigated further and tested in the field, we won't know for sure how it can be used, how slugs will react, or whether they'll just get over their dislike of the wheat and eat it anyway.This project will, for the first time, bring farmers directly engaged with the pre-breeding wheat research that eventually makes its way to their fields. It will explore ways to alter the actual palatability of the crop itself. Anyone can get involved in this fascinating project by collecting slugs and sending them into the lab. There, they'll be offered a selection of both modern and the long-lost wheats and their feeding habits scrutinised. That'll inform field trials with a group of Slug Sleuths - farmers closely involved in the project. They will test a selection of these wheats in their fields and monitor slug behaviour carefully.If successful, scientists may be able to pinpoint the genetics responsible and breed more resilience into today's crops used to produce our food, with less loss to troublesome slugs. Fewer chemicals spread on fields mean healthier soils and lower carbon emissions, helping us meet climate change targets. What's more, the close involvement of farmers in developing these novel technologies will ensure the cropping system of the future is resilient and abundant for many generations to come.

任何一个园丁都清楚蛞蝓是多么令人讨厌，它们会造成毁灭性的破坏，以及它们是多么难以控制。农民也是如此，但规模要大得多--他们的生计取决于在没有蛞蝓造成早期放牧破坏的情况下让作物茁壮成长。如果不加以控制，蛞蝓每年将给英国农民造成高达1亿英镑的损失。农民们严重依赖使用含有化学物质的蛞蝓颗粒，通常将其作为预防措施传播。以前使用的农药因为进入饮用水或伤害益虫而被禁止，现在只剩下一种（磷酸铁）-这是不可持续的，对环境不利。另一种方法是看作物的适口性。作为Defra资助项目的一部分，诺维奇约翰英纳斯中心的科学家们已经确定了一种100多年没有种植的小麦，这种小麦可能具有一种长期丢失的特性，使其对鼻涕虫来说不好吃。这是一个令人兴奋的开始，但在进一步研究并在田间进行测试之前，我们无法确定它如何使用，鼻涕虫会有什么反应，或者它们是否会克服对小麦的厌恶并吃掉它。这个项目将首次让农民直接参与小麦育种前的研究，最终进入他们的田地。它将探索改变作物本身实际适口性的方法。任何人都可以通过收集鼻涕虫并将其送入实验室来参与这个迷人的项目。在那里，他们将被提供一个现代和长期失去小麦和他们的饮食习惯仔细检查选择。这将为一群与该项目密切相关的农民提供实地试验的信息。他们将在自己的田地里测试这些小麦的选择，并仔细监测鼻涕虫的行为。如果成功，科学家们可能能够确定遗传学负责，并培育出更有弹性的今天用来生产我们的食物的作物，减少麻烦鼻涕虫的损失。更少的化学物质在田地里传播意味着更健康的土壤和更低的碳排放，帮助我们实现气候变化目标。更重要的是，农民密切参与开发这些新技术将确保未来的种植系统对未来几代人来说是有弹性和丰富的。