Enhancing wheat genetical resistance to FHB and grain yield in the era of precision agriculture
Funding Program:
Interreg Cross-border Co-operation
Call:
IPA Croatia-Serbia 2021-2027 – 2nd Call
Project ID:
HR-RS00207
Duration:
2026-2028
Total Budget:
655,870.62 €
Reducing Disease Pressure and Chemical Dependence in Wheat Farming in the Cross-border Region between Serbia and Croatia
The RES-Wheat project addresses the growing threat to wheat production in the Croatia–Serbia cross-border region caused by Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), climate change and the continued reliance on unsustainable, pesticide-intensive farming practices. FHB is one of the most destructive wheat diseases, leading to severe yield losses, grain quality deterioration, and contamination with mycotoxins that pose risks to food safety, human health and marketability. Epidemic conditions for FHB occur frequently in the region due to high humidity and moderate temperatures during flowering, with yield losses that can reach up to 80%.
Farmers currently depend heavily on chemical fungicides to manage the disease, which increases production costs, accelerates pathogen resistance and causes environmental and health concerns. At the same time, climate variability intensifies biotic stress and reduces the effectiveness of traditional control measures, threatening the economic sustainability of wheat farming.
How will RES-Wheat solve this
RES-Wheat aims to address these challenges by introducing an integrated, cross-border approach that strengthens wheat resilience, reduces chemical dependency and improves yield stability through innovation and knowledge transfer. Through coordinated research, pilot actions and stakeholder engagement, RES-Wheat will:
- Identify and validate FHB–resistant wheat genotypes through multi-environment field trials in Croatia and Serbia.
- Integrate precision agriculture technologies to optimise resource use, improve disease monitoring and support data-driven farm decision-making.
- Test and apply biostimulants as eco-friendly solutions to enhance plant resilience and reduce reliance on chemical fungicides.
- Develop practical guidelines, DEMO days, and workshops to support farmers, breeders and advisors in adopting sustainable wheat production practices.
- Foster cross-border collaboration between research institutions, farmers and industry stakeholders to ensure effective knowledge exchange and long-term uptake of innovative solutions.
Role of FSH
- Leads communication and visibility of the project and its results
- Disseminates outputs to farmers, researchers, industry, policymakers and the public
- Builds the agri-food innovation ecosystem by connecting academia, industry, and farmers
- Drives uptake and long-term impact of results through targeted outreach and events
RES-Wheat in numbers
- 3 cross-border partners from research, higher education and agri-food innovation sectors
- 2 joint pilot actions addressing FHB resistance and precision wheat farming
- 2 key wheat-growing regions involved through multi-environment field trials in Osijek-Baranja County (Croatia) and South Bačka District (Serbia)
- 300+ farmers reached through DEMO days, workshops and practical trainings
- 40+ researchers and experts engaged via scientific workshops and knowledge exchange activities