Training School: Phenotyping Practice, Machine Learning and Industry Insights (EPPS)
Sep
12
to Sep 16

Training School: Phenotyping Practice, Machine Learning and Industry Insights (EPPS)

The Wheat Phenotyping to Support Wheat Improvement Expert Working Group (Phenotyping EWG) and the Wheat Initiative (WI) have co-organised the training school: “Phenotyping Practice, Machine Learning and Industry Insights”, that will be held in Bonn, Germany, from 12 to 15 September, 2025.

The training school is aimed in particular at early career researchers. It is designed to introduce the participants to the fundamentals of Machine Learning and Deep Learning and it will provide the student with hands-on experience and insights from industry experts on the use of the latest technology.

The school is also including an online preparatory workshop, that will be held on September 5, 2025 (attendance is mandatory).

The on-site training program consists of a first day of introduction to machine learning and deep learning, and one hands-on module on Python programming. In the second day, Saturday 13, students will participate to a half-day excursion with visits to a large coal mining area, and activities on the way to a bio-based economy. The last day of September Monday 15 will be devoted to hands-on training with industry representatives to asses phenotyping traits with latest technologies. For full program see here: https://epps2025.plant-phenotyping-network.de/EPPS_training_school

The Phenotyping EWG and the WI are pleased to announce that up to 6 travel awards will be available for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and PhD students to support attendance at the EPPS Training school: Phenotyping Practice, Machine Learning and Industry Insights and the EPPS in Bonn, Germany. Find all info here: https://www.wheatinitiative.org/ewg-phenotyping-travel-award-copy

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European Plant Phenomics Symposium (EPPS)
Sep
16
to Sep 19

European Plant Phenomics Symposium (EPPS)

  • Google Calendar ICS

European Plant Phenomics Symposium (EPPS)

The European Plant Phenomics Symposium (EPPS), brings together scientists from academia and industry as well as stakeholders dedicated to advancing plant phenotyping research and technology in Europe. This symposium provides a collaborative and interactive platform for sharing the latest innovations, methods, and applications in phenotyping with the goal to address the pressing challenges of sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and food security across Europe and beyond. The EPPS will take place:

from 16th to 19th of September 2025

Find all info here:

https://epps2025.plant-phenotyping-network.de/EPPS_Home

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WATCH-A Pest and Disease Diagnosis and Monitoring Workshop
Sep
18
2:00 PM14:00

WATCH-A Pest and Disease Diagnosis and Monitoring Workshop

The Wheat initiATive Crop Health Alliance – WATCH-A

We are excited to announce the upcoming Wheat Disease and Pest Diagnosis and Monitoring Workshop !

Overview of workshop plan and objectives (find registration link below)

Wheat production suffers from major losses due to pests and diseases.  The scale of the problem has been estimated as over 20% of wheat production. This translates to about 180 million tonnes, enough to provide the wheat needs of about 1.8 billion people. 

Although genetic resistance is available to many pests and diseases, these have not been deployed globally and, in many cases, the underlying biology, and hence the potential to maximise the durability of resistance, is unknown.

Given the importance of managing outbreaks of pests and diseases, most countries invest in programs to diagnose and monitor outbreaks and advise growers on the best control strategies.  The WATCH-A program of the Wheat Initiative is seeking to unite scientists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to collaboratively develop and unified methodologies, build capacity and share resources to minimise the impact of wheat pests and pathogens.  The plan for this workshop is to explore the current approaches used to diagnose and monitor diseases in wheat and assess the potential of new imaging technologies and systems, both at the individual plant and the field level, to rapidly identify the severity and spread of disease.

The outcome of this initial workshop will be the framework for a larger face-to-face meeting in 2026 that would help develop multinational collaborations aimed at sharing information and capabilities to accelerate the development of new imaging systems for pest and disease monitoring.

Date: 18th of September 2025
Berlin (Germany – Berlin) 14:00-17:00

Location: Online

Registration is mandatory! Please follow the registration link here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSewnN-bXKN6tfaVUT-QsPdBvlWWVvREdVehPJX-7zk1AX6WIg/viewform?usp=header

Once you have registered, you will receive an email to confirm your registration and the Webex details to join the meeting. Emails will go out nearer the workshop date.

The program is:

 

For more information, please visit our website https://www.wheatinitiative.org/watcha

We look forward to your participation!

Organised by:
WATCH-A Steering Committee with support from the Wheat Initiative

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From Seed to Pasta V  (FSTP V)
Sep
24
to Sep 27

From Seed to Pasta V (FSTP V)

  • Google Calendar ICS

 The Congress ‘From Seed to Pasta V’ will provide a timely update on durum wheat multidisciplinary research towards a more sustainable and resilient durum wheat chain capable of enhancing food security while providing more nutritious grain and a healthier diet.

Facing the challenges posed by the climate crisis requires updated crop managements and fast genetic gains made possible by genomic-assisted selection based on advanced genomics knowledge and breeder’s friendly phenotyping to identify superior haplotyes, clone and edit the causal sequences.

State-of-the-art presentations will showcase how Tetraploid wheat genetic resources might help in reducing the environmental footprint of durum wheat production by discovering superior alleles.

Issues related to the production of higher quality and healthier semolina and pasta will be addressed in a dedicated session involving the milling and pasta industry.

The WI is looking forward to welcoming you the Wheat community in Bari to meet and greet at our booth there at FSTP5.

AGATA GADALETA                                                  ROBERTO TUBEROSA 

https://www.fromseedtopasta.com/

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CANVAS 2025, formerly the ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting
Nov
9
to Nov 12

CANVAS 2025, formerly the ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting

  • Google Calendar ICS

CANVAS 2025 will take place November 9-12, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. CANVAS, formerly the ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting, is where Crop, Agronomic, Environmental, and Soil Sciences connect and inspire change to impact scientific advancement. 

For more informatin visit: https://www.sciencesocieties.org/canvas

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8th Conference on Cereal Biotechnology and Breeding
Nov
10
to Nov 13

8th Conference on Cereal Biotechnology and Breeding

From November 10 to 13, 2025, the 8th Conference on Cereal Biotechnology and Breeding together with a satellite meeting of EWAC The European Cereals Genetics Co-operative will be held in Budapest, Hungary. During the conference, there will be invited keynote lectures, shorter talks (selected based on submitted abstracts), and poster demonstrations. Deadline for SUPER EARLY BIRD registration is March 31, 2025; abstract submission for oral presentations July 31, 2025.

Further details can be found on the website https://akcongress.com/cbb and the attached flyer. Please do not hesitate to forward this message to all colleagues who might also be interested in the conference. We would be very happy to welcome you in Budapest.

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4th International Wheat Congress #IWC2026Bologna
May
25
to May 29

4th International Wheat Congress #IWC2026Bologna

The International Wheat Congress (IWC) was merged from two original international wheat conferences, the International Wheat Genetics Symposium and the International Wheat Conference. It serves as an important gathering for the global wheat community, providing a platform for leading experts, researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals to discuss advancements in the field of wheat breeding, genetics, genomics, and agronomy.

The IWC is a biennial event (find history here) , the 3rd edition 2024 was held in Perth, Australia.

The 2026 edition of the International Wheat Congress will be held from 25-29 of May 2026 in Bologna, Italy!  


The IWC2026Bologna will provide a key opportunity for the global wheat community to gather, share knowledge and discuss advancements in agronomy, genetics, genomics and breeding of wheat.

National Organization Chair:
Roberto Tuberosa
DISTAL, University of Bologna
Italy

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EWG Wheat Breeding Methods and Strategies Webinar - Wheat breeding at Corteva with Jessie Alt
Jul
11
6:00 PM18:00

EWG Wheat Breeding Methods and Strategies Webinar - Wheat breeding at Corteva with Jessie Alt

The Expert Working Group on Wheat Breeding Methods and Strategies invites you to join their webinar!

Dr. Jessie Alt will discuss theoretical and practical implications on wheat breeding at Corteva. She will also discuss Ideas to consider when implementing breeding theory at scale.

11th of July 2025

10:00 AM CDT (Chicago time, USA)

8:00 AM PDT (Los Angeles, USA)

6:00 PM CET (Berlin, Germany)

1:30 AM ACST (Adelaide, Australia)

Please follow the link below to join:

Friday, July 11, 2025

8:30 AM  |  (UTC-06:00) Mountain Time (US & Canada)  |  2 hrs 30 mins  

Join webinar

 

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- ONE HOUR NUE - The Virtual  Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) Meeting
Jul
9
2:00 PM14:00

- ONE HOUR NUE - The Virtual Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) Meeting

The Expert Working Group on Nutrient Use Efficiency are pleased to announce a web conference affiliated with the group will be organised in July 9th 2025 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (CET).

Speaker : Dr Juan Pablo Monzon (National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Argentina - Farmer)

Title : Nutrient management in double cropped wheat/soybean in the western of Argentinian pampa

Main topics addressed :

  • Description of the agroclimatic context

  • Description of the farm

  • Means  (ways, management practices, strategies) to improve wheat NUE in this context for yield and/or grain protein.

Remark : it’s the first conference of a series of presentations describing wheat NUE management in contrasting farms/agroclimatic contexts around the world

Click here to register: https://forms.office.com/e/q3yWQTWKUb

 
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Kelly Turkington  THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Jun
24
5:00 PM17:00

Kelly Turkington THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

Dr. Kelly Turkington, a cereal pathologist with AAFC in Lacombe will give a a presentation titled “ The answer is blowin in the wind: an overview of the Prairie Crop Disease Monitoring Network’s cereal rust risk forecasts

JUNE 24th 2025 (10am Calgary/5pm Berlin/2:30am Adelaide)

 

Follow the link to join virtually:

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Wheat Initiative - Expert Working Group - Germplasm - Virtual Meeting
Jun
2
1:00 PM13:00

Wheat Initiative - Expert Working Group - Germplasm - Virtual Meeting

The co-chairs of the GLOBAL WHEAT GERMPLASM CONSERVATION AND USE COMMUNITY, the EWG-Germplasm , have organised a virtual meeting:

2nd of June 2025

Berlin-Germany 13:00 - 15:00 (CEST)

Delhi-India 16:30-19:30 (IST)

Adelaide-Australia 20:30-23:30 (ASCT)

Please find here the tentative agenda.

The meeting link for the zoom online event is:

Online (Zoom Meeting Link: https://croptrust.zoom.us/j/61303129545

Meeting-ID: 613 0312 9545 Password: 529736


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Wheat Field Phenotyping Demo Day
May
13
9:30 AM09:30

Wheat Field Phenotyping Demo Day

Wheat Field Phenotyping Demo Day , Foggia, ITALY 

Registration is mandatory before April 22, 2025 at this form  https://forms.gle/QByVcyNiRVzTPfFaA

The Expert Working Group on Wheat Phenotyping is organising a Wheat Field Phenotyping Demo Day.

May 13, 2025

9:30- Welcome by Wheat Initiative, Institutional and Local Authorities

10:00-12:30 Field visit and hands-on phenotyping demonstrations:

            Hiphen – (Patrizia Zamberletti) Overview of the Literal system, data acquisition in a wheat trial

            CREA – (Fabio Fania) UAV phenotyping in practice

            CNR/PlantBit – (Michela Janni) In vivo Sensing in practice

            IRTA (Adrian Gracia-Romero) Low-cost phenotyping cereal traits using RGB images

            YieldSystems (Jussi Gillberg) Video intelligence for scalable, accurate phenotyping

13:00-14:00 Light lunch

14:00-16:00 Data Analysis and management session (Hiphen, CREA, IRTA, YieldSystems)

16:00-17:00 Overlook on international Phenotyping initiatives:

            IPPN (IPPN, Philip von Gillhausen)

            EMPHASIS (EMPHASIS, Susie Robinson)

            PHENET (INRAE, Bertrand Muller)

            GlobalWheat (ETH, Andreas Hund)

            PhenItaly (CNR, Silvana Moscatelli)

17:00 Wrap-up conclusions and transfer to city center (hotels, train/bus station)

Registration is mandatory before April 22, 2025 at link:  https://forms.gle/QByVcyNiRVzTPfFaA


For any other further information: michela.janni(a)cnr.it , nicola.pecchioni(a)crea.gov.it

Organizing Committee:

Michela Janni, CNR

Nicola Pecchioni, CREA

Pasquale De Vita, CREA

Rossano Clementi, CREA

Daniela Pacifico, CREA

Fabio Fania, CREA

Ivano Pecorella, CREA

Patrizio Spadanuda, UNIFG, CREA

 Wheat Initiative

Please register here before April 22, 2025 at this  https://forms.gle/QByVcyNiRVzTPfFaA


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 LIU ZHAOHUI AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Apr
24
4:00 PM16:00

LIU ZHAOHUI AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

The Expert Working Group on Wheat pathogens invites you to join in to their next webinar! The invited speaker is Dr. Liu Zhaohui from North Dakota State University. His talk titled “Further Dissecting Genetics of Virulence in Wheat Tan Spot Pathogen Pyrenophora tritici-repentis”. Please feel free to foreward and share to those who are interested.

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DANIEL CROLL AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Mar
20
4:00 PM16:00

DANIEL CROLL AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

Our Expert Working Group on Wheat Pathogens invites you to participate in the webinar on Thursday, March 20 at 9h Calgary time/ 16h Berlin / 1.30h 21st Adelaide time.

The invited Speaker is Dr. Daniel Croll, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics and Director of the Institute of Biology at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. His presentation titled: “Understanding mechanisms of crop pathogen emergence using large genome panels”.

Please feel free to FW this to those who are interested.

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- ONE HOUR NUE - The Virtual  Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) Meeting
Feb
28
1:00 PM13:00

- ONE HOUR NUE - The Virtual Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) Meeting

The Expert Working Group on Nutrient Use Efficiency are pleased to announce the first web conference affiliated with the group will be organised in February 28th 2025 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm (CET).

PLEASE REGISTER HERE.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclJPz_55JjfLIBZM1RKb8r-48_Wef5Q7bscPNVxj-jkLH5Og/viewform?usp=dialog

You will find below more details about this event:

01:00 pm - brief introduction (EWG chairs)

01:05- scientific talk :

Title: Understanding Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Wheat

Main speaker: Dr. Amanda De Oliveira Silva (USA - Oklahoma State University)

Brief description of the talk:

The goal of this talk is to provide an overview of the different definitions of NUE across disciplines and their implications for agronomy, particularly in wheat management:

  • Introduction on the importance of NUE in wheat production and use of N fertilizers globally

  • Discussion on the different metrics and definitions, including its components (NUpE and NUtE).

  • Relevance to agronomy, plant physiology, and environment, as well as the strengths and limitations of each in the context of wheat production.

01:35 - Q/A

01:50 - conclusion, further events (EWG chairs)

02:00 pm - end of the web conference

 
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COLIN HIEBERT AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Feb
11
5:00 AM05:00

COLIN HIEBERT AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

“Suppression of resistance genes transferred between ploidy levels”

Abstract

Leaf rust, stem rust, and stripe rust are important diseases of wheat that can be controlled using host genetic resistance. There are different strategies to achieve resistance including discovering new, effective rust resistance genes that can be utilized by breeders to develop resistant cultivars. There are an array of sources that can serve as potential reservoirs of new genes including hexaploid wheat, progenitor species, and distant relatives. In some instances, genes are transferred to hexaploid wheat from a related species but the resistant phenotype is not expressed. Suppression can be a barrier to transferring resistance between species and ploidy levels. We will look at some examples of suppressors, and resistance that is suppressed when crossing ploidy levels. While there are examples of genes that prevent suppression (nonsuppressors), currently there is no “one stop shop” solution to circumvent all instances of suppression when transferring resistance genes to wheat.

Biography 

Colin is a wheat geneticist with AAFC at the Morden Research and Development Centre in Morden, MB. He completed his Ph.D at the University of Manitoba in 2008 and joined AAFC in his current position in 2010. Colin’s program focuses on disease resistance genes including discovering new R genes, gene interactions, marker development, gene cloning, cytogenetics, and suppression of resistance. Away from work, Colin enjoys many activities such as coaching hockey, playing guitar, backpacking, and maintaining his backyard hockey rink (winter only, Manitoba does actually have summer).

The link to the webinar:

________________________________________________________________________________

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WheatIS annual meeting at PAG 32 and hybrid
Jan
10
7:00 PM19:00

WheatIS annual meeting at PAG 32 and hybrid

The WheatIS EWG is holding their annual meeting at PAG in hybrid.

You are invited to join the meeting:

On site: room California 1 (cf. map in attachment)
Remotely: https://inrae-fr.zoom.us/my/malaux
Audience: the meeting is primarily intended for members of the EWG, but feel free to invite any colleagues interested in the field (on site or remotely).

 Schedule: Friday, January 10, 10 AM to 12 PM California time (Pacific Standard Time PST).

San Diego , USA – California, Friday, 10th Jan 2025, 10:00h

Berlin, Germany Friday 10th Jan 2025, 19:00h

Adelaide, Australia Sat 11. Januar 2025, 04:30h

Agenda:
•    Round table and WheatIS EWG news (10:00 - 10:15, Michael Alaux)
•    Follow-up of AI at INRAE-URGI (10:15 – 10:30, Cyril Pommier / Raphaël Flores): 10 min presentation + 5 min question
•    Machine learning to predict end-use quality in wheat (10:30 – 11:55, Muhammad Afzal, ECR travel awardee): 15 min presentation+ 10 min question
•    AI in GrainGenes (11:55 - 11:20, Taner Sen): 15 min presentation+ 10 min question
•    AI at University Western Australia (11:20 – 11:45, Dave Edwards): 15 min presentation+ 10 min question
•    Plan for 2025 (budget, activities, ECRs) (11:45 - 12:00, Michael Alaux)

 

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6TH VIRTUAL DURUM MEETING 16TH DEC 2024
Dec
16
2:00 PM14:00

6TH VIRTUAL DURUM MEETING 16TH DEC 2024

Updates from the International Wheat Congress: a durum wheat perspective

 

https://wheatinitiative.webex.com/wheatinitiative/j.php?MTID=md61a89fe68cbb18a72f9700f458cb8ce

Meeting number 2780 626 2989   Meeting password ccXTV3MDK23

In September 2024 wheat scientists have met in Perth (Australia) for the 3rd International Wheat Congress (IWC), the event was well attended, nevertheless the durum wheat community was underrepresented. To keep the durum community updated on the most recent advancements on wheat science with potential impact on durum wheat breeding, the chairs of the EWG on durum wheat have selected 4 of the most relevant presentations and asked the speakers to report in this Virtual Durum Meeting.

The final presentation will be dedicated to a new initiative of the EWG for the establishment of a panel of durum wheat carrying value sources on Fusarium Head Blight resistance.

The 6th Virtual Durum Meeting starts at 3.00 pm Central European Time

Chairs: Karim Ammar & Agata Gadaleta

Programme

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GUUS BAKKEREN AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Dec
5
6:00 PM18:00

GUUS BAKKEREN AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

Join the Expert Working Group on Wheat Pathogens in their webinar:

Dr. Guus Bakkeren and his talk “Tackling wheat leaf rust through pathogen and host genomics”.

Dr. Guus Bakkeren is a research scientists in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Summerland BC. He has been working on plant pathogen interactions for the past 30 years and with a focus on effectors and fungal pathogens such as smut and cereal rust. The abstract of his talk: The basidiomycete fungus Puccinia triticina (Pt), causing Wheat Leaf Rust disease, is an obligate pathogen of wheat and is a worldwide scourge resulting in significant crop losses annually. The genomics era has in a major way advanced insight into the biology and the evolution of the populations of this fungus, as well as the interaction with its host including defense responses in wheat. I will present an assessment of genetic diversity and mating types among a large collection of Canadian, US and Mexican fungal isolates using whole genome and RNA-derived sequences and put this NA population diversity in a global context. I will also outline approaches to identify and assess functions of Pt avirulence effectors.

________________________________________________________________________________

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BEAT KELLER AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Oct
31
5:00 PM17:00

BEAT KELLER AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

Join the Expert Working Group on Wheat Pathogens in their webinar:

Dr. Beat Keller and his talk “Genetic and functional analysis of complex host – pathogen interactions in the wheat - powdery mildew pathosystem”.

Professor Beat Keller serves as the Head of the Molecular Plant Biology and Phytopathology Group within the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. His contributions to wheat genomics and the investigation of wheat resistance to fungal pathogens have been substantial. Notably, his collaboration with the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium led to the completion of the first high-quality wheat genome.

Recently, Dr. Keller's research has concentrated on the molecular interactions between wheat and the powdery mildew pathogen. While his primary focus is on understanding the molecular basis of resistance in wheat, barley, and rye, his findings also have significant implications for plant breeding. Furthermore, his work has prompted important discussions regarding the role of innovative technologies in ensuring food security and reducing pesticide use.

The talk will be held via MS team on Thursday, Oct 31, at 9 am Calgary time.

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3rd International Wheat Congress
Sep
22
to Sep 27

3rd International Wheat Congress

First Announcement

3rd International Wheat Congress

The International Wheat Congress (IWC) is a prestigious biennial event that begun in July 2019 in Saskatoon, Canada. It serves as an important gathering for the global wheat community, providing a platform for leading experts, researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals to discuss advancements in the field of wheat breeding, genetics, genomics, and agronomy.

This Congress will provide a platform for researchers to present their findings, share insights, and exchange ideas, which can contribute to enhancing the sustainability and resilience of wheat production systems. Policymakers and industry professionals attending the event will be kept updated on the latest trends and innovations in the wheat industry, fostering collaboration and driving advancements in the field.

The upcoming edition of the conference, scheduled for September 22-27, 2024, will be organised by the Centre for Crop & Food Innovation, Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia.

The 3rd IWC will be held at Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC), in Perth, Western Australia.


National Chair: 
Prof. Rajeev Varshney FRS 
Director, WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre; 
Director, Centre for Crop & Food Innovation, & 
International Chair in Agriculture & Food Security 
Murdoch University, 
90 South St, Murdoch, WA 6150
E-mail: iwc2024.organizers@gmail.com

The International Wheat Congress (IWC) was merged from two original wheat international conferences,the International Wheat Genetics Symposium and the International Wheat Conference. IWC is a biennial event and the 1st IWC was held in July 2019 in Saskatoon, Canada. The 2nd IWC was planned for 2021 in Beijing, but was delayed to 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Wheat Pathogens Symposium at 3rd IWC in Perth
Sep
21
9:00 AM09:00

Wheat Pathogens Symposium at 3rd IWC in Perth

Thank you for your interest in our in-person meeting of our Pathogens EWG Meeting Registration for this satellite meeting is free. If participants plan to attend the International Wheat Congress 2024 (IWC2024), they will have to register and pay separately.

Find the Presentation Schedule here: Presentation Schedule

 


The meeting will start on September 21st at 9:00hrs (Perth/AU Time) am and will close on 18:00Hrs (Perth/AU Time).

To attend pre-registration is mandatory.

--- Deadline for registration is August 30, 2024 ----

Pre-registration has closed.


!NOTE TO EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS! The EWG will hold oral presentation prizes for early career researchers (ECRs) at the symposium. To be eligible, non-member ECRs will need to sign up for Wheat Initiative EWG ECR membership before the Symposium. It's free! You can sign up for membership by following the instructions found in this link (download application form). The winner will receive 300€ (Euro) and runner-up will receive 200€ (Euro). The winner and runner-up will be required to contribute to the Wheat Initiative newsletter thereafter by providing a snapshot of their research and a researcher profile. Great exposure of your research and looks good on the CV!

We look forward for your active participation!


Symposium location

Curtin University of Technology, Bentley Campus

Building 300 Room 217 (300.217:CT)

We will put signs up around the place on the day of the symposium

How to get here?

If you have already booked your accommodation in the city centre near the Perth Convention Centre where the IWC will be held, you can easily catch public transport (https://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/). The Elizabeth Quay Busport and Train station is next to the Perth Convention Centre. You can take;

1.    Take buses 34 and 72 from the Elizabeth Quay Bus Port directly to the Curtin University Hayman Road Busport adjacent to the symposium venue.

2.    Take a train on the Mandurah Line from the Elizabeth Quay Train station. Alight at the Canning Bridge Station. Catch bus 101 to the Curtin University Hayman Road Busport adjacent to the symposium venue.

The other alternative is to take a taxi or ride shares (Ola, DiDi or Uber). There won’t be any traffic jams on a Saturday morning.

Accommodation

If you seek accommodation closer to the symposium venue at Curtin University, try the ‘Nesuto Curtin Perth Hotel’ (https://www.nesuto.com/curtin). It is a new hotel located at Curtin University.

Local restaurants

You can find a few local restaurants and fast-food joints at the Waterford Plaza. But I recommend taking a short trip (via bus) to Victoria Park for more choices.




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MICHAEL HARDING AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Jun
19
5:00 PM17:00

MICHAEL HARDING AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

June Webinar: “Wheat disease monitoring and diagnostics in Alberta, Canada.” by MICHAEL HARDING

9 am Calgary /5 pm Berlin/ 4 pm London

Dr. Michael Harding is the Crop Health Assurance Lead for Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation. He received his BSc in Biology from the University of Lethbridge in 1996, and his PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Arizona in 2004.  Dr. Harding leads crop disease monitoring and surveillance in Alberta and assists with crop health diagnostics. He is also active in research on sanitization and disinfection of agriculture and food surfaces and biofilm microbiology.

Link will be included shortly

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Dr. Xianran Li at the EWG Breeding Webinar
Apr
25
5:00 PM17:00

Dr. Xianran Li at the EWG Breeding Webinar

“Integration of Enviromics into genetics and breeding”

In natural conditions, environmental conditions play a significant role in shaping phenotypic variation. However, effectively integrating the environmental contributions into genetic analyses and breeding programs remains a challenge. One key bottleneck is identifying key environmental variables from comprehensive whole-season external weather profiles that are associated with phenotypic variation. This webinar will first introduce the CERIS-JGRA framework designed to identify and integrate major environmental variables. This simple and straightforward framework provides an approach for comprehending and predicting phenotype values, thus enhancing our ability to develop resilient crop varieties. Then I will delve into the enviromic prediction approach, which leverages machine learning and deep learning to forecast crop performance over temporal and spatial scales.

Link:

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MING LUO AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Mar
26
11:00 AM11:00

MING LUO AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

Developing cisgenic resistance gene stacks in wheat for improved resistance to wheat stem rust disease

by Dr Ming Luo

NOTE: This will be on March 26 in Calgary time but March 27th Australian time

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Abstract

Fungal rust diseases are a major production constraint in wheat with the combined annual global cost of stem rust, stripe rust and leaf rust estimated to be more than $3 billion. The most cost effective and environmentally sustainable approach to controlling rust diseases is via genetic resistance. However, these pathogens evolve rapidly and can quickly overcome resistance genes, particularly when they are deployed individually. Polygenic resistance is believed to provide more durable resistance, however selection of multiple unlinked resistance genes in breeding programs is difficult and expensive and gene combinations quickly separate in future breeding efforts. A more effective strategy for strong, longer-lasting resistance is to combine multiple genes into a single locus with multi-gene cassettes. We have developed wheat lines containing multi-gene cassettes encoding up to five different stem rust resistance genes at single loci. Furthermore, two separate resistance gene stacks, each encoding five wheat stem rust resistance transgenes, have been combined by conventional breeding to generate wheat plants containing an unprecedented level of polygenic stem rust disease resistance. Next generation five gene stacks have now been produced in wheat using a Precision Engineering approach that incorporates only wheat DNA sequences i.e. no selectable markers, cloning scars or Agrobacterium border sequences. These entirely cisgenic plants have the potential for reduced regulatory burden given recent changes to GM legislation in some countries. Cisgenic resistance gene stacks are now also being developed for wheat stripe rust and leaf rust diseases. This cisgenic technology is applicable to other crops for improving disease resistance and for developing other polygenic traits of agronomic significance with single gene inheritance.

Biography

Dr Ming Luo obtained his master’s degree in Agronomy at Sichuan Agricultural University, China in 1989 and PhD in Molecular Genetics at Australian National University, Australia in 2004. He has worked at CSIRO Agriculture and Food since 2004 where he is currently employed as a Senior Research Scientist. His research interests include epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the double fertilization processes in flowering plants. More recently he has been developing durable resistance to wheat stem rust by stacking multiple (five) disease resistant genes at a single locus in wheat. His team has improved upon this strategy to generate large, entirely cisgenic wheat resistance stacks which is a novel technology potentially applicable to many other agricultural crops.

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BRENT McCALLUM AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Feb
22
9:00 AM09:00

BRENT McCALLUM AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

“The contribution of the wheat leaf rust resistance genes Lr34 and Lr67 to multi-pest resistance.”

Dr. McCallum is a senior research scientist at AAFC, Morden Research and Development Centre in Manitoba. His research over the past 28 years has a focus on wheat leaf rust disease in Canada, variation in the causing pathogen, and identification and development of genetic resistance, host pathogen interaction and pathogen evolution.

Thursday on February 22nd (9 am Calgary /5 pm Berlin/4 pm London)

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THORSTEN LANGNER AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Jan
25
5:00 PM17:00

THORSTEN LANGNER AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

Title:

"Tracing a cereal killer: Genomics-assisted surveillance and genome evolution of the blast fungus.”

THORSTEN lANGNER is a group leader at the Max-Planck Institute for Biology, Tuebingen Germany. since July, 2023. Research focus: Role of mini-chromosomes in blast fungus genome evolution; immune receptor engineering for wheat blast resistance; pathogen surveillance.

 

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WheatIS annual meeting at PAG and hybrid (PST TIME!)
Jan
12
10:00 AM10:00

WheatIS annual meeting at PAG and hybrid (PST TIME!)

The WheatIS EWG is holding their annual meeting at PAG in hybrid.

You are invited to join the meeting:

 Schedule: Friday, January 12, 10 AM to 12 PM California time (Pacific Standard Time PST).
On site: room Palm 8 (cf. map in attachment)
Remotely: https://inrae-fr.zoom.us/my/malaux
Audience: the meeting is primarily intended for members of the EWG, but feel free to invite any colleagues interested in the field (on site or remotely).

Please find all details attached in the PDF.

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ANDERS BORGEN AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Nov
23
5:00 PM17:00

ANDERS BORGEN AT THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

Anders Borgen will be giving his talk titled: Unlocking the resistance to common bunt

Please find the link for the meeting here

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzkwYzdhOTUtMTMxYy00MzczLTkzZTEtOWNlN2YxZTJlZGJk%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%229da98bb1-1857-4cc3-8751-9a49e35d24cd%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2229719dd4-9895-4fd3-8e9e-b8827910d03e%22%7d

9 am Calgary /5 pm Berlin/4 pm London

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ANNA SYZNISYEWSKA IN THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES
Nov
8
5:00 PM17:00

ANNA SYZNISYEWSKA IN THE EWG ON WHEAT PATHOGENS WEBINAR SERIES

The Expert Working Group on Wheat Pathogens presents:

Global Burden of Crop Loss initiative – in pursuit to support data-driven decision making

Anna is a geographer and crop protection modeller with experience working on highly collaborative projects tackling crop pest problems in the USA, Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. Before joining CABI in 2021 as a Technical Lead on the Global Burden of Crop Loss initiative, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher in modelling groups at the Plant Science Department in Cambridge (2018-2021) and at Rothamsted Research (2014-2018). Anna has experience in modelling spatial distribution of host plants, monitoring the spread of pathogens, advising surveillance strategies, working with qualitative farmer survey data, modelling pest climatic niche and pest population dynamics.

Please join on  Wednesday November 8th, 9am Calgary time , 5pm Berlin time, 12am (00:00) Perth time via the link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NTg4YTRlMTAtZWJjNy00ZmVjLWJjZGYtZWJhMGE1YjgxN2Q0%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%229da98bb1-1857-4cc3-8751-9a49e35d24cd%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2229719dd4-9895-4fd3-8e9e-b8827910d03e%22%7d

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Dr. Viviane Cordovez in the EWG Pathogens Webinar Series
Oct
24
4:00 AM04:00

Dr. Viviane Cordovez in the EWG Pathogens Webinar Series

Dr. Viviane Cordovez from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (Wageningen) will give a presentation on;

“Wheat Phyllosphere Yeasts: Diversity And Potential For Improving Plant Resilience To (A)biotic stresses”

Please join the webinar following the link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_N2RkZjk0YjEtNTcwZC00NjU0LTk5M2YtNDAzNjIzYTVkZTA4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%229da98bb1-1857-4cc3-8751-9a49e35d24cd%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2229719dd4-9895-4fd3-8e9e-b8827910d03e%22%7d

 

When?

Tuesday, Oct 24th, 2023

Berlin, Germany 4pm

Calgary, Canada 8am

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Meeting of the EWG Durum Wheat Genomics and Breeding
Oct
17
to Oct 18

Meeting of the EWG Durum Wheat Genomics and Breeding

Is sufficient resistance to Fusarium head blight in durum wheat truly achievable?

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a widespread disease, resulting in grain yield losses and drastic grain quality deterioration because of mycotoxin contaminations, particularly in the form of deoxynivalenol (DON), the predominant and most economically important mycotoxin for wheat. F. graminearum is the main causal agent of FHB worldwide. In the last years Fusaria increase their spread and accumulate more of their related mycotoxins on durum wheat grain production at maturity. Although variation for resistance to FHB is known, no wheat variety is completely immune and durum wheat is particularly and almost universally highly susceptible to FHB. In the resistance or tolerance response to FHB, several biochemical components are involved and different quantitative traits (quantitative trait loci, QTL) capable of controlling this disease have been identified.

The meeting organised by the Expert Working Group on Durum Wheat Genomics and Breeding will present an overview of the most significant advances in genetic/genomic research on tolerance to FHB in durum wheat and will promote a discussion on future perspectives on their application in breeding practices to effectively improve durum wheat tolerance and reduce the accumulation of mycotoxins in grain.

On the second day, the meeting will also present an update on the most recent advances in durum wheat genomics, focusing on the ‘Svevo’ platinum quality reference genome and on the tetraploid wheat pangenome.

The meeting will start on October 17th at 9 am and will close on 18th at 2 pm.

Participants working in the field of fusarium head blight in wheat are

invited to submit an abstract of max 400 words to:

Anna Maria Mastrangelo (annamaria.mastrangelo(a)crea.gov.it)

before September 15th.

To attend this meeting pre-registration is mandatory. Please pre-register in the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfh98S-nSzfu_Q_t9GbZpKC2vwpiqaAmvmgO_beBaFFWz8Tpg/viewform?usp=sf_link

PROGRAMME DOWNLOAD HERE

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Brande Wulff in the EWG on Wheat Pathogens webinar series
Oct
3
2:00 PM14:00

Brande Wulff in the EWG on Wheat Pathogens webinar series

The Expert Working Group on Control of Wheat Pathogens would like to invite to their fifth webinar !

Dr. Brande Wulff from the Centre for Desert Agriculture at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia will be speaking about “Harnessing genetic diversity in wheat and its wild relatives for disease resistance”.

Abstract: Genetic diversity for disease resistance has been eroded in bread wheat through polyploidisation, domestication and breeding. We have developed sequence-configured panels of wheat and wild progenitors for high-throughput identification of disease resistance genes by association mapping or mutational genomics [1-4]. Cloned resistance genes can speed up resistance breeding through generation of GM stacks [5] or by conventional marker-assisted selection in combination with speed breeding [6,7]. We propose internationally coordinated efforts to clone and characterize wheat resistance genes to facilitate a more judicious deployment of resistance genes in GM and conventional breeding programmes [8].

Wulff is a molecular plant pathologist and geneticist. He uses high throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatics to identify genes restricting stem rust and Septoria tritici blotch, two major diseases of wheat. His long-term aim is to use cloned genes from wild ancestors of wheat to engineer durable resistance to these diseases in cultivated wheat. Dr. Wulff recently took up a faculty position in the Centre for Desert Agriculture at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. Prior to this he worked for ten years in the John Innes Centre and The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK.

Please join on  Tuesday Oct 3, early morning 6 am Calgary time via the link https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YjZiNTA2MzEtNzkxMC00ZTcxLWFlNDctZGRmYjlhNWM3ZjAw%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%229da98bb1-1857-4cc3-8751-9a49e35d24cd%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2229719dd4-9895-4fd3-8e9e-b8827910d03e%22%7d Dr.

 

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Expert Working Group on Wheat Pathogens Webinar
Aug
8
11:00 AM11:00

Expert Working Group on Wheat Pathogens Webinar

Dr. Janna Beckerman from Purdue University, USA, will give a presentation on

“Fifty years of Fungicides Development, Deployment and Future Use”

Please join the webinar folling the link:

 https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDYzYmJkNjctYjhmNi00YzE2LThiMTQtNzc2YTJjOWIwYWNl%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%229da98bb1-1857-4cc3-8751-9a49e35d24cd%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2229719dd4-9895-4fd3-8e9e-b8827910d03e%22%7d

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XIV INTERNATIONAL GLUTEN WORKSHOP
Jun
19
to Jun 21

XIV INTERNATIONAL GLUTEN WORKSHOP

It is with great pleasure that we announce the upcoming XIV INTERNATIONAL GLUTEN WORKSHOP. This scientific event will be organized between Spain and Portugal and will be held from 19th - 21st June 2023 in Madrid, Spain.

The primary objective of this meeting is to bring together researchers studying gluten. This workshop represents an invaluable opportunity to share experiences, establish links, and explore collaboration around the issues facing global wheat crops. The meeting will take an integrated approach to research by attracting specialists in diverse subjects and will directly address the distressingly common misinformation about gluten and wheat that circulates is in the media of many developed countries. We expect to present a universal vision of the importance of consumer perception of wheat products, and the effects this has on consumption in developing countries, as well as the implications for wheat research and what action should be taken.

Researchers from around the world will report on progress made in topics such as:

  • Contribution of wheat grain components to industrial (food and non-food) quality (gluten proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, bioactive components).

  • Genetics and breeding for wheat processing and nutritional quality improvement (Including use of molecular markers, omics, genomic selection, new breeding techniques).

  • Impact of GxExM Interaction on wheat end-use quality.

  • Relationship between sustainability of the wheat field chain and quality (i.e. field management, grain storage, shelf life).

  • Genetic resources for end-use and nutritional quality improvement.

  • Nutritional quality, health benefits of wheat.

  • Progress in milling and processing technologies.

  • Innovations on the analysis of wheat quality parameters: technologies and methodologies.

We cordially encourage you to attend and contribute to one of the major events of 2023 in the gluten field. Demand for wheat in the developing world is projected to increase 60% by 2050.

Understanding and properly decoding the multiple roles governing wheat production, transformation, and use will continue to be incredibly important in shaping people's diets around the world. The research community is fully engaged as demonstrated by the increasing number of manuscripts devoted to the subject. We hope to establish a friendly and open academic environment for all of us working in or interested in moving into this area of research. aim is for you to communicate your latest results in gluten research to the best researchers in this area of knowledge.

Hoping to see you in Madrid!

Patricia Giraldo (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)
Gilberto Igrejas (Universidad os Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro)
Chairs of the XIV International Gluten Workshop

To sign up click here: www.xivglutenworkshop.com/sign-up

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