Up to half the world’s stored grains—1.6 billion tonnes—can be subject to spoilage every year. Such losses impair efforts to meet growth in global food demand. In response, two recent studies applied cutting-edge technology to better understand grain spoilage and seek solutions.

Two research projects funded by the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) have made significant advances in cereal crop genetics. Overseen by Pierre Hucl of the Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan, the first of these examined the viability of a new dwarfing gene in bread wheat. Secondly, Nora Foroud of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) developed new wheat and barley lines with improved resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB).