The global challenge of increasing food production by 60% to feed a projected population of 10 billion by 2050 necessitates enhancing agricultural productivity and minimizing crop losses due to pathogens. Fungal pathogens significantly impact cereal crop production, particularly bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). In Scotland, Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici (Z. tritici), is one of the most damaging diseases, leading to yield losses of up to 50% during severe outbreaks. The combination of Scotland's wet and cool climate provides favourable conditions for the pathogen, making it a significant threat to wheat production. Current control methods involve resistant cultivars and fungicides, but Z. tritici's rapid adaptability and the rise of fungicide-resistant strains pose serious challenges to disease management.

At Heriot-Watt University, under the supervision of Dr. Angela Feechan, an expert in STB disease, I am working on my project, WHEAT-DR, funded by the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship under the UKRI Guarantee Scheme. This project aims to unravel the natural resistance mechanisms in wheat against Zymoseptoria tritici by investigating the role of specific small secreted proteins (SSPs) in disease resistance. This research will provide critical data to develop wheat varieties tailored to the Scottish agricultural landscape. This approach will support farmers in mitigating yield losses while reducing dependency on fungicides. Overall, WHEAT-DR strives to advance our understanding of wheat's defense mechanisms against Z. tritici and potentially revolutionize strategies for developing disease-resistant wheat varieties, thereby contributing to global food security and safeguarding Scottish cereal production in a changing climate.