Gurcharn Singh Brar

University of Saskatchewan, Canada, March 2019, PhD

University of Saskatchewan, Canada, March 2015, MSc

Punjab Agricultural University, India, June 2012, BSc Agriculture (Honors in Plant Protection)

• Wheat Breeding and Genetics
• Functional Genomics, marker development 3. Barley pre-breeding and germplasm improvement 4. Resistance Breeding

• APBI 326 – Introductory Plant pathology (UG Course)
• APBI XXX – Statistical Methods in Agricultural Sciences
• PLNT 513 – Advanced Plant Breeding (Graduate Course)

Please visit Dr. Brar’s Google Scholar page for a full list of publications.

• G.S. Brar*, T. Fetch, B.D. McCallum, P.J. Hucl, H.R. Kutcher. 2019. Virulence dynamics and breeding for resistance to stripe, stem, and leaf rust in Canada since 2000. Plant Disease. 103:2981-2995. [Invited Feature Review article].*Corresponding author
• G.S. Brar*, G. Hnatowich, G. Peng, P.J. Hucl, H.R. Kutcher. 2019. The effect of Fhb1 and Fhb5 quantitative trait loci in hard red spring wheat does not depend on fungicide use for managing Fusarium head blight in wheat. Plant Disease. 103:1850-1857. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-18-1559-RE *Corresponding author.
• G.S. Brar*, A.L. Brûlé-Babel, Y. Ruan, M.A. Henriquez, C.J. Pozniak, H.R. Kutcher, P.J. Hucl. 2019. Genetic factors affecting Fusarium head blight resistance improvement from introgression of exotic Sumai 3 alleles (including Fhb1, Fhb2, and Fhb5) in hard red spring wheat. BMC Plant Biology. 19(1):179. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-1782-2*Corresponding author.
• G.S. Brar*, C.J. Pozniak, H.R. Kutcher, Hucl, P.J. 2019. Evaluation of Fusarium head blight resistance genes Fhb1, Fhb2, and Fhb5 introgressed into elite Canadian hard red spring wheats: Effect on agronomic and end-use quality traits and implications for breeding. Molecular Breeding. 39:44 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-019-0957-8*Corresponding author.
• G.S. Brar, C. Karunkaran, T. Bond, J. Stobbs, N. Liu, P.J. Hucl, H.R. Kutcher. 2019. Showcasing the application of synchrotron-based X-ray computed tomography in host-pathogen interactions: the role of wheat rachilla & rachis nodes in Type-II resistance to Fusarium graminearum. Plant, Cell & Environment. 42:509-526. [featured on Journal cover]
• G.S. Brar, G. Fuentes-Davilla, X. He, C.P. Sansaloni, R.P. Singh, P.K. Singh. 2018. Genetic mapping of resistance in hexaploid wheat for a quarantine disease: Karnal Bunt. Frontiers in Plant Science. 9:1497. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.01497
• G.S. Brar, S. Ali, D. Qutob, S. Ambrose, K. Lou, P. R. Maclachlan, C. J. Pozniak, Y. B. Fu, A. G. Sharpe, H. R. Kutcher. 2018. Genome re-sequencing and simple sequence repeat markers reveal the existence of divergent lineages in the Canadian Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici population with extensive DNA methylation. Environmental Microbiology. 20(4):1498-1515. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14067
• H.R. Kutcher, T.K. Turkington, D. McLaren, B. Irvine, G.S. Brar. 2018. Fungicide and cultivar management of leaf spot diseases of winter wheat in western Canada. Plant Disease. 102(9):1828-1833. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-12-17-1920-RE
• G.S. Brar, R. Dhariwal, H.S. Randhawa. 2018. Resistance evaluation of differentials and commercial wheat cultivars to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) infection in hot spot regions of Canada. European Journal of Plant Pathology. 152:493-502. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-018-1452-5
• G.S. Brar, P.J. Hucl. 2017. 00Ar-134-1, a spring wheat line of intergeneric origin. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 97:153-156. [Cultivar Description]. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2016-0116
• K. Tanino, I. Willick, K. Hamilton, P. Vijayan, Y. Jiang, G.S. Brar, P. Yu, L. Kalcsits, R. Lahlali, B. Smith, B. Fowler, H.R. Kutcher, R. Bueckert, T. Warkentin, C. Karunakaran. 2017. Chemotyping using synchrotron mid-infrared and X-ray spectroscopy to improve agricultural production. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 97:982-996. [Invited Review]. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjps-2016-0376
• G.S. Brar, R. Graf, R. Knox, H. Campbell, H.R. Kutcher. 2017. Reaction of differential wheat and triticale genotypes to natural stripe rust [Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici] infection in Saskatchewan, Canada. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology. 35:239-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/07060661.2017.1341433
• G.S. Brar, H.R. Kutcher. 2016. Race characterization of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the cause of wheat stripe rust, in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada and virulence comparison with races from the United States. Plant Disease. 100:1744-1753. https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-12-15-1410-RE

• Graduate Student Association (GSA) Award for Excellence in STEM 2019 (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) by the GSA of the University of Saskatchewan. Conferred to one student nominee among all STEM disciplines.
• Outstanding PhD Graduate Student Award-2017 by the Department of Plant Sciences, U of S. (Awarded to one best PhD student in the department for achievements in academics, research, teaching and community service).
• Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission Graduate Scholarship for three years for PhD.
• Dean’s Scholarship for 3 years by University of Saskatchewan (the most competitive and highest-paid scholarship of the University).
• Pest Management Award (PMA) 2016 of the CSA.
• Outstanding MSc Graduate Student Award-2014 by the Department of Plant Sciences, U of S. Awarded to one best MSc student in the department for achievements in academics, research, teaching and community service.
• Seed of the Year scholarship and award for year 2013-2014 by Seed of the Year-West sponsors. (http://seedoftheyear.ca/west/archive/).
• CPS Graduate Scholarship for MSc- 2014.
• CPS Graduate Scholarship for PhD- 2016.
• Rene Vandeveld Postgraduate Scholarship for achievements in crop science research for 2014.
• John Baerg Research Award-2013 for research achievements.
• John Baerg Scholarship-2013 for academic achievements.
• Devolved Scholarship for outstanding achievements in research and academics by Department of Plant Sciences, U of S for two years.
• ASPEE Gold Medal for achieving the highest GPA in Plant/Crop Protection for year 2011-2012.
• University Merit Scholarship by Punjab Agricultural University (2008-2012).
• Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board Scholarship for 4 years.
• SGK Educational Trust Scholarship for 4 years.
• Certificate of Distinction in Literary/Sports in 2011.
• State Merit Scholarship by Punjab School Education Board, Mohali, India.

• Associate Editor, Tropical Plant Pathology, December 2020 – present
• Guest Section Editor, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, Focus Issue- ‘Rust Diseases of Field Crops and Forest Trees’, October 2020 – present
• Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, June 2019 – present
• Associate Editor, Phytopathology, January 2020 – present
• Western Director, the Canadian Society of Agronomy, July 2019 – June 2021

Professional Affiliations:

• Canadian Phytopathological Society (CPS)
• American Phytopathological Society (APS)
• Canadian Society of Agronomy (CSA)