Scientists are on a quest for drought-resistant wheat, agriculture's 'Holy Grail'

Plant biologist Marcus Samuel has been working for more than a decade to improve the climate resilience of crops.

At his research greenhouse at the University of Calgary, he uses cutting-edge gene editing techniques to produce hardier varieties of plants able to withstand temperature fluctuations, floods and frosts.

But while he has worked on canola, peas and other crops, perhaps the most elusive and exciting part of his work is the quest for drought-resistant wheat.

"It is definitely the Holy Grail. I think this has been one of the hardest things to crack," Samuel said.

Samuel is just one of many scientists in Canada and around the world pursuing the development of a drought-resistant wheat strain.

It would be one of the biggest victories in agricultural research, if achieved.

Wheat is the most widely grown cereal grain, occupying 17 per cent of the total cultivated land in the world, according to the International Development Research Centre, a federal Crown corporation.

It is a staple food for 35 per cent of the world's population, and provides more calories and protein in the world's diet than any other crop.

Yet wheat is a "thirstier" plant than other staple crops like maize, rice and soy, making it more vulnerable to water shortages.

The Washington, D.C.-based World Resources Institute estimates that by 2040, nearly three-quarters of global wheat production will be under threat due to drought and climate change-induced water supply stress.

Santosh Kumar, a wheat breeder working on drought resistance for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Brandon, Man., said he sometimes feels like he is racing against time.

"When our world population is projected to be doubled by 2050, we need to feed people," Kumar said.

"If we don't grow enough wheat, there will be food shortages."

While no wheat is ever going to survive in zero-water conditions, scientists have found that wheat plants with certain traits — such as longer, deeper roots — have a better chance of surviving in low-water conditions.