ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER RURAL LIVING 30 SUPPORTING GRADUATE STUDIES Scientists are working on some of the most pressing issues facing Ontario and Canadian agriculture, and the Legacy Scholarship supports three students doing just that. Marielle Zouein is pursuing a master’s in biology at the University of Ottawa, where her thesis work is focused on understanding the role of plant susceptibility genes in promoting Fusarium graminerarum infection, which causes Fusarium head blight (FHB). “Recent work indicates that a plant susceptibility gene called RhohD regulates fungal DON production during infection such that expression of the DON biosynthetic genes were reduced by 90 per cent when the plant gene was not being expressed,” she says. “Understanding this phenomenon could help to develop varieties of crops that substantially reduce DON deposition in the grain, reducing the impact of FHB for Ontario grain farmers.” At the University of Guelph, Riley McConachie is pursuing a master’s degree in plant breeding and genetics, where his current research is looking at developing new techniques to phenotype for FHB resistance in wheat using deep learning and remote sensing techniques. “My research has the potential to be extremely beneficial for the Ontario agricultural industry,” he says. “The workflow requires very simple cell phone images, making it extremely accessible to anyone looking to employ it. This will help optimize selections within breeding programs, minimizing the time required to phenotype for resistance and helping produce higher quality wheat cultivars.” Anibal Castillo is pursuing a PhD at the University of Guelph, studying ways to improve integrated pest management (IPM) systems. Her research could help with the early detection of pests of considerable concern in Ontario, like the European corn borer, corn rootworm, tar spot, and spider mites. “The loss of 35 per cent of crop yields globally is attributed to preharvest pests,” she says. “Monitoring phytophagous insect and their natural enemies are crucial for appropriate IPM decisions.” ARE YOU INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN AGRICULTURE? Applications for the 2025 Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Fund will open in the summer of 2025. Please visit the Grain Farmers of Ontario website, gfo.ca, and watch for future announcements in the Ontario Grain Farmer. • continued from page 29 Johnston Hall, University of Guelph. Photo courtesy University of Guelph.
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