AHEAD

ALLIANCE FOR WHEAT ADAPTATION TO HEAT AND DROUGHT

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International Wheat Congress (IWC 2024)

Registration for the 3rd International Wheat Congress is now open. The International Wheat Congress (IWC) is a prestigious biennial event that begun in July 2019 in Saskatoon, Canada. The upcoming edition is scheduled for September 22-27, 2024, in Perth, Western Australia

Satellite Meeting (IWC 2024)

The EWG Adaptation of Wheat to Abiotic Stress and AHEAD plan to organize a joint meeting next to the IWC. Take the chance and meet us in Perth in September.

More Details will be available soon.

WHY WHEAT?

Crop production all around the world is more and more affected by the climate change. Weather extremes - including droughts and heat waves – were increasing constantly over the last 30 to 40 years and leading to huge damages or loss of entire crops. Wheat is one of the most important staple foods in the whole world population diet, making up 20 % of the calories and proteins consumed by humans worldwide. Therefore, crop shortfalls are influencing food availability and prices, leading to price hikes and food shortages. This could be detrimental especially for many less-developed countries, as wheat is representing the main source of calories in these parts of the world. To secure food availability and affordability regionally and globally effort must be made on new technologies, breeding’s and knowledge exchange to match modern crop cultivation with the growing problems of the climate change.

VISION

A global co-ordinating program facilitating development and delivery of new technologies to ensure wheat varieties and agronomic practices can meet the challenges of increasingly hotter and drier production environments.

Mission

  • Bring the wheat research community together to inform and exchange new germplasm, technologies and ideas for enhancing tolerance to heat and drought.

  • Build the capacity for research and technology delivery in all regions where heat and drought challenge wheat production.

  • Provide a framework for effective investment from funding organisations and value-adding across global research, enabling ready access and uptake of new technologies and resources.

  • Engage the global wheat R&D and breeding community to promote collaboration and information sharing on heat & drought-related discoveries.

ASPIRATION

  • Development of global research programs integrating expertise across multiple international partners

  • Knowledge of, and ready access to germplasm, intellectual capacity, technological resources and facilities

  • Increased investment in wheat heat and drought research reflecting robust research delivery and rapid progress in global adaptation to heat and drought

  • Open and frequent communication globally, and the opportunity for regular exchange of staff and students between research groups and countries

  • Ability to openly and effectively compare germplasm and technologies and their communication to facilitate uptake and adoption

  • Development of efficient and rapid technology delivery paths to facilitate adoption