Enzyme-mycotic seed depletion (EMSD) is a leading cause of loss in grain
crops, destroying up to 60% of the crop. The development of EMSD is
associated with adverseweather conditionswhen an increase in enzyme
activity breaks down grain biopolymers into simple sugars and amino
acids. Maintaining humidity helps plants deal with EMSD, but developing
EMSD resistant crops is a more efficient way.

Research institutes in Russia led by RUDN University have discovered
severalwheatvarieties that are resistant to EMSD. Agronomists from these
institutes studied the plant genetic resources at the Vavilov
All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, which contains more
than a thousand samples of cereals collected annually from 1978 to 2021.
Using biochemical methods and radiography, they were able to identify
genetic factors that contribute to resistance to EMSD. The team found
four varieties of wheat with resistance to EMSD.

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