Some people take a lifetime to find their dream job. It can take years to figure out what they love to do, and sometimes even longer to make it into a career. But this isn’t the case for Dr. Samia Berraies, research scientist with Swift Current’s Research and Development Center in Saskatchewan. She was born wanting to work with wheat.
A study in wheat
“Wheat is my passion,” says Samia. “I grew up in Tunisia, which was the breadbasket of the Roman empire. You can even see wheat incorporated in ancient Roman mosaics. I grew up watching my family making couscous, burghul and pasta all the time. For me, wheat is food, history and culture all wrapped up together.”
As she grew up, Samia pursued a career in science. While her classmates became interested in human genetics, she just couldn’t stop thinking about wheat. “Unlike humans or animals, plants are often overlooked. But it’s a big thing – the impact crops have on the world is enormous!”
Wheat became Samia’s plant of choice because she was always amazed by its physical and genetic properties. She loved the crop’s versatility and contribution to food security.
Eventually, Samia obtained a PhD specialized in genetics and wheat pathology (the study of diseases). Focusing on molecular pathology allowed her to understand diseases at the genetic level and how they interact with host plants. “I wanted to be a doctor for wheat to keep plants healthy!” she says.
As she completed her studies, Samia applied for the Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum Early Career Award from Cornell University. This award recognizes achievement by women working in wheat during the early stages of their career. Her passion and love of wheat made her the perfect candidate, and she accepted her award in 2013.
And as luck would have it, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) researcher happened to sit down beside her at the award ceremony.
Show me the wheat
Samia always considered where she might end up in the world. There was lots of possibility, but only one place that stood out for her. “I asked myself: where’s the wheat? The answer: in Canada!”
So when the AAFC researcher told her about the work happening at the research centre in Swift Current, the next step in her career became clear. Samia wanted to help stop the spread of wheat diseases, and Swift Current—the epicentre of Canadian wheat production—would be a jackpot for her.
At that time, there was an outbreak of Fusarium Head Blight in the Swift Current area, giving Samia a focus for her knowledge of molecular pathology. It’s a particularly challenging disease because wheat’s genetic resistance to it is very complicated. Resistance is controlled by multiple genes, each of which has a small effect. This makes it hard to quickly achieve resistance in breeding. “It’s like stacking Lego – each piece of Lego is like a gene that plays a small part. There are several Legos in the tower that affect Fusarium Head Blight resistance,” Samia explains.
What is Fusarium Head Blight?
Fusarium Head Blight is a fungal disease that affects the heads of small grains such as wheat, barley, and corn. The disease can result in damaged grains and mycotoxins (fungal chemicals harmful to animals). Once detected, crops affected by mycotoxins from Fusarium Head Blight cannot be sold for food or feed.
Samia knew she could change farmers’ lives with her research. When an opportunity came up to work at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre as a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) fellow, she packed up her family and moved across the world to join the battle against Fusarium Head Blight.
On a mission
One might expect a move from Tunisia to rural Saskatchewan to be a culture shock. While Samia admits there are differences, her passion for her work overrides everything else.
“I just want to make wheat the best crop it can be. I came on a mission!” she says.
Through genetics and molecular mapping, Samia identifies molecular markers associated with disease resistance. Then she shares this information with wheat breeders who implement it in marker-assisted selection in their breeding programs in order to incorporate resistance into Canadian wheat cultivars (varieties). Developing resistant varieties is worth millions of dollars in savings to Canadian farmers – a huge motivator for Samia!
Where the wheat Is
There are two main types of wheat that grow exponentially well in the Prairie provinces: spring wheat (important in bread making) and durum (for making pasta). This makes Canada one of the top five wheat exporting nations in the world. Saskatchewan alone grows 41% of Canada’s spring wheat and 82% of our durum.
Improving wheat’s ability to resist diseases is not only good for farmers’ bottom lines, but it’s also good for the environment: growing resistant cultivars reduces the need for chemicals. For example, hardier varieties would reduce fungicide (chemicals that kill fungi) use for producers who struggle with Fusarium Head Blight. Chemical inputs are a big cost and challenge for farmers, as their application has to be precisely timed for maximum effectiveness. If the plant has a natural resistance to the disease, farmers become less dependent on chemical application. This is a benefit for the environment, farmers, wheat, and durum processors and consumers.
Jumping across the globe to pursue a passion is no easy feat, but it’s because of AAFC scientists like Samia that farmers deliver the best crops possible to tables and kitchens across the country. For their hard work, passion for their research, and courage to embrace a whole new culture, farmers and Canadians give them thanks every day.
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