Dr. Marcus Samuel, a plant biologist at the University of Calgary, has dedicated over a decade to enhancing the resilience of crops to climate change. His research focuses on utilizing cutting-edge gene editing techniques to develop hardier plant varieties capable of enduring temperature fluctuations, flooding, and frost. Among his pursuits, the most elusive and promising endeavor has been the quest for drought-resistant wheat.
“It undoubtedly represents the Holy Grail,” remarks Samuel. “I believe this has been one of the most difficult challenges to overcome.”
Samuel is part of a global team of scientists dedicated to developing a drought-resistant wheat strain. Its success would mark a significant triumph in agricultural research.
Wheat is the most widely cultivated cereal grain globally, covering 17 percent of the total cultivated land, according to the International Development Research Centre. It serves as a dietary staple for 35 percent of the world’s population and contributes more calories and protein to the global diet than any other crop.
However, wheat’s relatively high water consumption makes it more susceptible to water scarcity compared to other staple crops like maize, rice, and soy. The Washington, D.C.-based World Resources Institute projects that nearly three-quarters of global wheat production will be jeopardized by drought and climate change-induced water stress by 2040.
Santosh Kumar, a wheat breeder specializing in drought resistance at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, acknowledges the urgency of their mission, stating, “When our world population is projected to double by 2050, we need to feed people. If we don’t grow enough wheat, there will be food shortages.”
While no wheat variety can survive without water, scientists have identified certain traits, such as longer and deeper roots, that enhance a plant’s ability to thrive in low-water conditions. Traditional plant breeding techniques can isolate plants with these desirable traits and cross them with other selected plants to create new, more drought-resistant varieties.
Progress has been made. Today’s Canadian wheat varieties are more robust and resilient than those of a century ago. However, the process remains painstakingly slow, requiring years of field trials.
The development of a truly drought-tolerant wheat remains elusive, even as the need intensifies due to climate change. Canada, for instance, experienced a nearly 40 percent decline in total wheat production in 2021 as a result of extreme heat and drought on the prairies. According to Statistics Canada, drought conditions impacted Canadian wheat production once more last year, with yields dropping by 12 percent compared to 2022 levels.
The complexity of the wheat plant itself is one reason why science has yet to fully address this challenge. The wheat genome is vast, containing five times more DNA than the human genome. Searching for improved wheat traits is significantly more challenging compared to working with crops with simpler genetic profiles.
“It’s like solving a puzzle with 50 pieces versus 10,000 pieces,” explains Kumar.
In 2018, international scientists finally completed the mapping of the wheat genome. This breakthrough has fueled recent advancements in genetic research.
One notable achievement was the announcement in 2020 by Argentinian scientists of the development of the first genetically engineered wheat, incorporating a drought-resistant gene from the sunflower plant.
While the Argentinian wheat has not been approved for cultivation or consumption in Canada, and many global markets remain resistant to genetically modified crops, gene editing is less controversial than full-scale genetic modification. It is in this realm that Canadian scientists, like the U of C’s Samuel, are making significant progress.
Unlike full-scale genetic modification, gene editing does not involve combining genetic material from different species. Instead, it is a precise method that allows scientists to make small, targeted alterations to DNA sequences.
In 2021, the Canadian government eased its regulations surrounding gene-edited crops, recognizing that seeds produced using this technology are safe and do not require special assessments by Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Ellen Sparry, president of the industry group Seeds Canada, hailed the decision as a milestone that should accelerate the quest for drought-resistant wheat. However, she emphasized that even if a promising strain were discovered tomorrow in a research lab, several years of testing and regulatory processes would be necessary before it could reach farmers’ fields.
She stressed the importance of providing scientists with the necessary public and private funding to expedite their research, ensuring that agriculture’s Holy Grail can be discovered before the climate crisis intensifies its impact.
“The question is not ‘Can we do it?’ but rather, ‘How quickly can we do it to meet the challenges we face?'” concludes Sparry.
