Current Progress/Outcomes:
Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat both in China and Ethiopia, posing a severe threat to wheat production, food security, and public health in both countries. Relying on the support of Jiangsu Provincial S&T Program, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) have launched a new phase of collaborative research on wheat Fusarium head blight. According to the temporal and spatial advantages, global wheat germplasm has been evaluated for FHB resistance both in China and in Ethiopia. New resistance sources will be explored, new resistant genes will be identified and integrated into local varieties to develop elite wheat accessions, which will accelerate and drive forward local disease-resistant breeding program. By means of delivering lectures in Ethiopia and undertaking China-AID Program of ‘Training Workshop on Wheat Head Scab Resistance Breeding and Pest Control in Africa’ in China, JAAS team has conducted comprehensive training in prediction and forecasting, source mining, genetic breeding and integrated management to more than twenty Ethiopian scientists. This international collaboration has yielded novel disease-resistant accessions to enhance wheat production in African Belt and Road countries, as well as provided practical demonstration for promoting Chinese breeding technologies overseas.
