The Project for the Development of Wheat Breeding Materials for Sustainable Food Production

Development of new wheat varieties and breeding materials deploying novel genes conferring resistance to drought and disease
The counterpart country is still suffering the effects of long years of war, and communities do not yet feel secure. Wheat is the raw material for the naan bread that is their staple food, and wheat is a key crop for the farmers who make up the majority of the country’s population. The Japanese research institute had preserved some of the rich diversity of wheat from the country, allowing those varieties to be cultivated once more. In combination with research at the gene level made possible by science and technology from Japan, breeding materials can be developed for varieties of wheat adapted to the country's environment. In conjunction with capacity development of wheat researchers, those varieties will contribute to building foundations for sustainable food production.

Research into local region wheat germplasms that can no longer be found in their original country because of the effects of war reveals potentially beneficial varieties. They can be used in the development of new varieties, and they can also contribute immediately to enhancing wheat production and making production more reliable for farmers, the vast majority of whom do not yet benefit from irrigation and similar facilities. Researchers of the country trained as part of the project are working on this topic.