New Gene Editing Method Could Prevent Barley Diseases

The National Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology and Precision Breeding for Food Security’s working group on cereal grain research has developed a gene editing procedure for the production of economically useful cereal varieties, the institute announced.

The production of high-yielding and pathogen-resistant cereal varieties is a prerequisite for improving the quantity and quality of food, the laboratory said, explaining the rationale behind the research focusing on modern breeding techniques. The research included the patenting of new methods and their practical application.

The development has resulted in a variety that has been nominated for state recognition for its resistance to the barley net blotch caused by fungal disease, which is strongly spreading in Europe.

The introduction of the resistant barley variety could slow down the spread of the pathogen and reduce the resulting damage,

the statement said.

Agricultural Biotechnology and Precision Breeding for Food Security is a consortium of the HUN-REN Center for Agricultural Research, the HUN-REN Szeged Biological Research Center, and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE).

Their research promotes the production of healthy food and proposes solutions to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and reduce environmental pressures through the One Health approach – the coherence of plant, animal, human, and environment health.

Their project, ending in 2026, received HUF 2,431 billion (approx. EUR 6 billion) in non-reimbursable funding under the National Research, Development and Innovation Office. The contracted amount will provide 100 percent support for the development.

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