Researchers explore Hessian fly resistance gene in wheat

University of Maryland researchers Nidhi Rawat and Vijay Tiwari contributed to breakthrough research led by Subhashree Subramanyam at USDA-ARS, West Lafayette, Indianna, and Bikram Gill at Kansas State University on cloning of a hessian fly resistance gene in wheat that makes wheat resistant to predation by Hessian fly larvae and demonstrated its direct interaction with a protein produced by the insect. The research breaks through a longstanding barrier to understanding and engineering pest resistance in wheat. It is described in a research paper published on August 14, 2026 in the journal Science Advances.  Read the rest of the article here.