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ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
- Thread starter AlaskaDenise
- Start date
AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
Re: ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
Collectively facing Ug99, a new stem rust to which most of the wheat and barley grown in the world has no resistance
Thursday, March 12, 2009
When the threat to a food staple like wheat is worldwide, the best way to counter it is to enlist the world?s experts in a research coalition. That?s just what has been done to answer the very real threat of Ug99, a new stem rust to which most of the wheat and barley grown in the United States and the rest of the world has no resistance.
As part of that global response, the Agricultural Research Service became a founding partner in the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI), in alliance with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and Cornell University. The BGRI is chaired by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman E. Borlaug.
?To reduce the vulnerability of U.S. and global wheat crops to Ug99 requires an international partnership of scientists and institutions with diverse expertise and facilities. We are fortunate that ARS was one of the first institutions to respond to the call from Dr. Borlaug,? says Ravi Singh, BGRI?s chief wheat scientist.
?ARS has several of the world?s small pool of experts in cereal rust research,? explains Kay Simmons, ARS national program leader for plant genetics and grain crops. ?We have several collaborative research projects under way that are feeding critical information into BGRI, and these partnerships are the best way to leverage everybody?s resources to combat Ug99.?
ARS is partnering with CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), to screen wheat and barley lines from breeders from all over the United States for Ug99 resistance.
Kenya has had Ug99 since 2001, so having use of the nursery there provides a way for U.S. breeders to find out which of their new varieties and lines may be able to stand up to the rust without bringing the pathogen into the United States and without each wheat- or barley-breeding project trying to start its own nursery overseas.
More than 5,000 U.S. lines have been evaluated through this program so far.
?Everybody wins. Not only does the United States benefit from this nursery, but ARS is also sharing all the information from these screenings with the other members of BGRI, and they are sharing their results with us,? Simmons says.
In fact, researchers from other BRGI members?such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, KARI, and CIMMYT?help score the wheats at various points in the growing season alongside ARS scientists such as plant pathologist/geneticist David Marshall, research leader of the ARS Plant Science Research Unit in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Results from the 2005-2007 screenings showed that Ug99 has overcome even more major resistance genes than previously believed,? Marshall says. ?This only emphasizes how important it is to find new ways for wheat to deal with Ug99.?
ARS has also used the test nursery to screen a significant portion of the small-grains germplasm collection in search of new sources of resistance.
The information from this screening has helped jump-start a cooperative stem rust-resistance breeding program at Oklahoma State University. ARS geneticist Michael Pumphrey at the Plant Science and Entomology Research Unit, Manhattan, Kansas, transferred new resistance genes into germplasm that university professor Brett Carver is now incorporating into locally adapted breeding populations.
?What ARS accomplished in 2 years would have taken us about 5 years, assuming we would have enjoyed the same success in crossing with some of the more cantankerous wild wheat relatives used in this project,? Carver says. ?This partnership allows me to remain focused on the locally specific breeding objectives that already have my attention.?
Opening a New Window
Recently, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided a $26.8 million grant to Cornell University to create the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat (DRRW) project, which will help bolster Ug99 research. With this grant, Cornell University has brought together 15 partnering institutions from all over the world, including ARS, with the goal of systematically reducing wheat?s vulnerability to rust diseases through an international collaboration of unprecedented scale and scope, according to Ronnie Coffman, DRRW?s principal investigator.
ARS is most heavily involved in three of the project?s objectives: tracking wheat rust pathogens, exploring whether rice offers any immunity to rust that might be transferred to wheat, and discovering new sources of rust resistance in wild wheat and wild barley.
Because most of current Ug99-effective genes are derived from relatives of common and durum wheat, ARS is looking to wild relatives as a source of genes for new types of resistance. Preliminary studies led by plant pathologist Yue Jin at the ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory have found some resistance to Ug99 in einkorn, goatgrass, and sanduri wheat.
ARS will be joining with ICARDA and the University of Minnesota to screen other wild relatives of wheat and barley.
?Wheat stem rust is borne by the wind across every political boundary where wheat is grown. To monitor it and defeat it, international partnerships have always been essential,? Coffman says. ?Since the beginning of rust research, ARS scientists have been good leaders and good partners, working at the forefront of science on behalf of the world community. Without their essential participation, the DRRW project would not be possible.?
More information on DRRW can be found at www.wheatrust.cornell.edu.—By J. Kim Kaplan, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff.
This research is part of Plant Diseases, an ARS national program (#303) described on the World Wide Web at www.nps.ars.usda.gov.
Kay Simmons is the National Program Leader for Plant Genetics and Grain Crops, Room 4-2210, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705-5139; phone (301) 504-5560, fax (30) 504-6191.
This article, "Collectively Facing an Ugly Rust" was published in the March 2009 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
Source: March 2009 issue of Agricultural Research magazine
C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\News\releases\2009\march\25423.htm
Source: Agricultural Research Service, USDA
http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/ne...hich_most_wheat_and_barley_grown_world_has_no
Collectively facing Ug99, a new stem rust to which most of the wheat and barley grown in the world has no resistance
Thursday, March 12, 2009
When the threat to a food staple like wheat is worldwide, the best way to counter it is to enlist the world?s experts in a research coalition. That?s just what has been done to answer the very real threat of Ug99, a new stem rust to which most of the wheat and barley grown in the United States and the rest of the world has no resistance.
As part of that global response, the Agricultural Research Service became a founding partner in the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI), in alliance with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and Cornell University. The BGRI is chaired by Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman E. Borlaug.
?To reduce the vulnerability of U.S. and global wheat crops to Ug99 requires an international partnership of scientists and institutions with diverse expertise and facilities. We are fortunate that ARS was one of the first institutions to respond to the call from Dr. Borlaug,? says Ravi Singh, BGRI?s chief wheat scientist.
?ARS has several of the world?s small pool of experts in cereal rust research,? explains Kay Simmons, ARS national program leader for plant genetics and grain crops. ?We have several collaborative research projects under way that are feeding critical information into BGRI, and these partnerships are the best way to leverage everybody?s resources to combat Ug99.?
ARS is partnering with CIMMYT and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), to screen wheat and barley lines from breeders from all over the United States for Ug99 resistance.
Kenya has had Ug99 since 2001, so having use of the nursery there provides a way for U.S. breeders to find out which of their new varieties and lines may be able to stand up to the rust without bringing the pathogen into the United States and without each wheat- or barley-breeding project trying to start its own nursery overseas.
More than 5,000 U.S. lines have been evaluated through this program so far.
?Everybody wins. Not only does the United States benefit from this nursery, but ARS is also sharing all the information from these screenings with the other members of BGRI, and they are sharing their results with us,? Simmons says.
In fact, researchers from other BRGI members?such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, KARI, and CIMMYT?help score the wheats at various points in the growing season alongside ARS scientists such as plant pathologist/geneticist David Marshall, research leader of the ARS Plant Science Research Unit in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Results from the 2005-2007 screenings showed that Ug99 has overcome even more major resistance genes than previously believed,? Marshall says. ?This only emphasizes how important it is to find new ways for wheat to deal with Ug99.?
ARS has also used the test nursery to screen a significant portion of the small-grains germplasm collection in search of new sources of resistance.
The information from this screening has helped jump-start a cooperative stem rust-resistance breeding program at Oklahoma State University. ARS geneticist Michael Pumphrey at the Plant Science and Entomology Research Unit, Manhattan, Kansas, transferred new resistance genes into germplasm that university professor Brett Carver is now incorporating into locally adapted breeding populations.
?What ARS accomplished in 2 years would have taken us about 5 years, assuming we would have enjoyed the same success in crossing with some of the more cantankerous wild wheat relatives used in this project,? Carver says. ?This partnership allows me to remain focused on the locally specific breeding objectives that already have my attention.?
Opening a New Window
Recently, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided a $26.8 million grant to Cornell University to create the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat (DRRW) project, which will help bolster Ug99 research. With this grant, Cornell University has brought together 15 partnering institutions from all over the world, including ARS, with the goal of systematically reducing wheat?s vulnerability to rust diseases through an international collaboration of unprecedented scale and scope, according to Ronnie Coffman, DRRW?s principal investigator.
ARS is most heavily involved in three of the project?s objectives: tracking wheat rust pathogens, exploring whether rice offers any immunity to rust that might be transferred to wheat, and discovering new sources of rust resistance in wild wheat and wild barley.
Because most of current Ug99-effective genes are derived from relatives of common and durum wheat, ARS is looking to wild relatives as a source of genes for new types of resistance. Preliminary studies led by plant pathologist Yue Jin at the ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory have found some resistance to Ug99 in einkorn, goatgrass, and sanduri wheat.
ARS will be joining with ICARDA and the University of Minnesota to screen other wild relatives of wheat and barley.
?Wheat stem rust is borne by the wind across every political boundary where wheat is grown. To monitor it and defeat it, international partnerships have always been essential,? Coffman says. ?Since the beginning of rust research, ARS scientists have been good leaders and good partners, working at the forefront of science on behalf of the world community. Without their essential participation, the DRRW project would not be possible.?
More information on DRRW can be found at www.wheatrust.cornell.edu.—By J. Kim Kaplan, Agricultural Research Service Information Staff.
This research is part of Plant Diseases, an ARS national program (#303) described on the World Wide Web at www.nps.ars.usda.gov.
Kay Simmons is the National Program Leader for Plant Genetics and Grain Crops, Room 4-2210, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705-5139; phone (301) 504-5560, fax (30) 504-6191.
This article, "Collectively Facing an Ugly Rust" was published in the March 2009 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
Source: March 2009 issue of Agricultural Research magazine
C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\News\releases\2009\march\25423.htm
Source: Agricultural Research Service, USDA
http://greenbio.checkbiotech.org/ne...hich_most_wheat_and_barley_grown_world_has_no
AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
Re: ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
I'm thinking we may have to re-educate our taste buds.....to like "goatgrass" bread.
.
I'm thinking we may have to re-educate our taste buds.....to like "goatgrass" bread.
.
Lizw
Well-known member
Re: ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
Wonder whether anyone has actually tried using it for human food. It sure does a good job of competing with wheat.
I'm thinking we may have to re-educate our taste buds.....to like "goatgrass" bread.
Wonder whether anyone has actually tried using it for human food. It sure does a good job of competing with wheat.
Lizw
Well-known member
Re: ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
I do, lots of them. But grains have many advantages over potatoes, which is probably why they were among the earliest agricultural products. I wonder how resistant spelt and the perennial wheat varieties are.
I do, lots of them. But grains have many advantages over potatoes, which is probably why they were among the earliest agricultural products. I wonder how resistant spelt and the perennial wheat varieties are.
Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Re: ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
MIDDLE EAST: Yellow Rust Epidemic Affects Regional Wheat Crops <!-- InstanceEndEditable --><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="content body" -->
Agricultural scientists at the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) and the International Center for Agricultural Research for the Dry Areas (ICARDA) have reported that a major outbreak of a virulent new strain of yellow (stripe) rust has been identified in prime Middle Eastern wheat growing regions. The outbreak has reached epidemic proportions in Syria?s major grain producing provinces bordering Turkey and Iraq, with significant national crop losses expected. Outbreaks have also been reported in central and southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, north, west and southern Iran, and in Lebanon. Outside the Middle East, yellow rust outbreaks have also been identified in Morocco, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan this year.
The current outbreak is primarily affecting soft bread wheat varieties, which form the backbone of the regions wheat crop. Hard wheat?s such as Durum are also grown in the region, but these varieties are a minority of total acreage. Scientists report that the new strain of yellow rust has plagued soft wheat crops that were previously resistant to the fungus owing to the incorporation of the gene Yr27. This implies that the majority of soft wheat grown in the region is under threat until newer resistant varieties are developed. The last major outbreak of yellow rust in the region was reported in the late 1980?s, resulting in a 21 percent reduction in regional wheat production.
Prior to the announcement of the current rust epidemic, wheat production in the Middle East was expected to rebound from several years of drought to a level of 41.1 million tons (an increase of 12 percent). The generally favorable environmental conditions which prevailed during the current winter growing season which would normally create bumper crop production potential, including above normal rainfall, mild winter temperatures, and lush crop growth, also apparently contributed to enhancing the spread of yellow rust and the severity of infection this season. Ideal meteorological conditions encouraged rapid development of yellow rust infections, massive spore production, and a lengthy period of time to infect regional crops.
SYRIA:
In Syria, USDA has learned that record crop prospects have been dashed by severe infections of rust over broad regions. Crop development was especially lush this season, and repeated winter showers coupled with warmer than normal temperatures catalyzed a massive outbreak stretching from its borders with Lebanon in the west to the Iraq border in the east. Unfortunately, Syrian farmers reportedly did not spray preventative fungicides during the developing rust outbreak, and the epidemic was not able to be contained.
Yellow rust generally afflicts the leaves of the wheat plant, consuming the stored nutrients and leaving them with a striped yellow or brown appearance. The fact that the plant leaves themselves are damaged or consumed during the lifecycle of the rust infection causes reductions in crop yields, as fewer stored nutrients are available to be transported to developing grains in the wheat head. The wheat head and its spikelet?s (where grain formation occurs) can also be infected, resulting in very serious yield losses In badly affected wheat fields, yield losses of 35-50 percent can occur, while in the worst instances nearly total crop loss is possible. Although the current yellow rust epidemic has been reported to predominantly affect soft wheat varieties, regional crop scientists in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey indicate that spikelet infection has been observed in some hard wheat crops as well.
The Syrian government has preliminarily reported that 2010/11 wheat production may fall as low as 3.3 million tons, an 18 percent reduction from last year and 35 percent below record levels thought possible a month ago. Harvest activities are ongoing across the country, and are some 30-40 days earlier than normal. Crop scientists at ICARDA indicate that early infections occurred in wheat crops during February and March, coinciding with vegetative and reproductive growth stages. Government estimates in late April indicate that rust-infected wheat acreage totaled 442,000 hectares, of which 300,000 hectares were un-harvestable (total loss). The un-harvested acreage estimate equates to 19 percent of total planted wheat area in Syria this year. Owing to the latest field information from crop scientists in the country, and acknowledging that it is still early in the harvest, USDA currently estimates 2010/11 Syrian wheat production at 3.75 million tons, down 1.25 million or 25 percent from last month. Wheat crops not seriously infected with rust are still expected to produce higher yields than last year, given the ideal moisture conditions experienced during the winter.
TURKEY:
Of equal concern is the fate of wheat crops in both Turkey and Iran. The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) has reported that yellow rust outbreaks have occurred in the Middle East?s two major wheat producers, who collectively account for 80 percent of total regional wheat production. Crop stage in these two countries are less advanced than in Syria, and have had similarly favorable environmental conditions for rust incubation and development. The severity of the epidemic in northern Syria ensured massive spore production occurred, with unknown consequences to adjoining wheat lands in Turkey. Local and regional officials in Turkey have reported yellow rust outbreaks in the prime Central Anatolian and southeastern wheat growing regions. The epidemic appears most concentrated, however, in Turkey?s southern and southeastern provinces where up to 20-25 percent of the national wheat crop is grown. Farmers have reported that the rust epidemic is widespread in these southern regions, and is affecting both soft and hard wheat crops. Wheat harvest activities are just beginning in southeastern Turkey and will continue into August in the later-maturing highland growing regions. Farmers have not reported the degree of yield loss in the hard-hit areas being harvested, so it is as yet uncertain what level of yield reduction has occurred. At this early stage USDA estimates 2010/11 wheat production in Turkey at 17.5 million tons, down 1.0 million or 5 percent from last month. Continued monitoring of crop yields and harvest progress will be needed to more accurately gauge the actual impact on national wheat production.
IRAN:
In Iran, outbreaks have been identified by BGRI and ICARDA scientists in north, western and southern provinces. The BGRI indicated that farmers in Iran had observed the outbreaks and had sprayed fungicides in order to attempt to control the spread of the infection. News updates, however, have not yet been posted to inform the public on the effectiveness of their efforts. USDA?s Middle East remote sensing program has been monitoring the region this winter and is currently seeing much less evidence of potential crop damage inside Iran when compared with its neighbors. One of the key observable signals of severely infected wheat crops is premature senescence or maturation of the crop. Prolonged exposure to the rust pathogen causes severe damage to the green leaf biomass, causing it to turn necrotic (yellow or brown). This premature loss of green vegetative crop biomass can be identified by satellites which measure the growth and development of the crop via normalized vegetation index?s or NDVI. The NDVI signal in virtually all severely infected regions this year indicates crops are entering maturation growth phases 4-6 weeks earlier than normal. In Iran, the nation?s wheat growing areas are widely dispersed in a very mountainous environment. Many areas may have been sheltered to some degree from exposure to rust spores generated in Syria and Turkey. Whatever the reason, satellite image analysis indicates Iran?s wheat crop is generally maturing on a normal schedule, with the exception of a few growing areas in the west and south which are maturing 2-4 weeks early. USDA is currently estimating Iran?s 2010/11 wheat production unchanged at 14.4 million tons.
IRAQ:
BGRI, ICARDA, and Iraqi field scientists have also confirmed yellow rust outbreaks in at least four northern Iraqi provinces, namely Ninawa, At-Tamin (Kirkuk), Arbil, and Salah ad Din. These four provinces normally account for 40 percent of the national wheat crop. Ninawa sits astride the northeastern Syrian border, and is the home of Iraq?s breadbasket, producing approximately 20 percent of the national wheat crop on its own. The most serious and concentrated rust infections in Syria were reported to have occurred in the northeastern province of Al-Hassakah, which shares a border with Ninawa.
Wheat crops in western, central and northern Ninawa are believed to be seriously infected. Northern Iraq, like Syria, had an extremely favorable winter rainfall pattern this year which contributed to record-level crop vegetative development. Lush wheat fields grew over large areas in the rust-affected provinces which had largely lain barren the past two years during a prolonged and severe drought. Much of the projected rebound in Iraq?s national wheat production outlook this year stemmed from the increased crop acreage and improved growing conditions in northern growing areas. The proximity of northern Iraq?s wheat lands to the rust epidemic in Syria, and the prevailing westerly wind direction, ensured it had a high probability of becoming infected. As of early June field scientists were not overly concerned with the degree of damage they were observing, indicating that crops in affected areas might suffer 10-15 percent yield declines. USDA currently estimates 2010/11 Iraq wheat production unchanged at 2.0 million tons. Provincial yield estimates, however, were much changed, with Ninawa, Arbil, and At Tamin being estimated lower, while crop yields in Dahuk and As Sulaymaniyah were increased. The regional wheat yield adjustments essentially canceled each other out. Foreign Agricultural Service reports concerning the harvest are expected in the next several months, and they will further reveal the extent of damage from this serious fungal epidemic.
Current USDA area and production estimates for grains and other agricultural commodities are available on IPAD's Agricultural Production page or at PSD Online.
Also see Map and photos :
http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2010/06/Middle East/
MIDDLE EAST: Yellow Rust Epidemic Affects Regional Wheat Crops <!-- InstanceEndEditable --><!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="content body" -->
Agricultural scientists at the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) and the International Center for Agricultural Research for the Dry Areas (ICARDA) have reported that a major outbreak of a virulent new strain of yellow (stripe) rust has been identified in prime Middle Eastern wheat growing regions. The outbreak has reached epidemic proportions in Syria?s major grain producing provinces bordering Turkey and Iraq, with significant national crop losses expected. Outbreaks have also been reported in central and southeastern Turkey, northern Iraq, north, west and southern Iran, and in Lebanon. Outside the Middle East, yellow rust outbreaks have also been identified in Morocco, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan this year.
The current outbreak is primarily affecting soft bread wheat varieties, which form the backbone of the regions wheat crop. Hard wheat?s such as Durum are also grown in the region, but these varieties are a minority of total acreage. Scientists report that the new strain of yellow rust has plagued soft wheat crops that were previously resistant to the fungus owing to the incorporation of the gene Yr27. This implies that the majority of soft wheat grown in the region is under threat until newer resistant varieties are developed. The last major outbreak of yellow rust in the region was reported in the late 1980?s, resulting in a 21 percent reduction in regional wheat production.
Prior to the announcement of the current rust epidemic, wheat production in the Middle East was expected to rebound from several years of drought to a level of 41.1 million tons (an increase of 12 percent). The generally favorable environmental conditions which prevailed during the current winter growing season which would normally create bumper crop production potential, including above normal rainfall, mild winter temperatures, and lush crop growth, also apparently contributed to enhancing the spread of yellow rust and the severity of infection this season. Ideal meteorological conditions encouraged rapid development of yellow rust infections, massive spore production, and a lengthy period of time to infect regional crops.
SYRIA:
In Syria, USDA has learned that record crop prospects have been dashed by severe infections of rust over broad regions. Crop development was especially lush this season, and repeated winter showers coupled with warmer than normal temperatures catalyzed a massive outbreak stretching from its borders with Lebanon in the west to the Iraq border in the east. Unfortunately, Syrian farmers reportedly did not spray preventative fungicides during the developing rust outbreak, and the epidemic was not able to be contained.
Yellow rust generally afflicts the leaves of the wheat plant, consuming the stored nutrients and leaving them with a striped yellow or brown appearance. The fact that the plant leaves themselves are damaged or consumed during the lifecycle of the rust infection causes reductions in crop yields, as fewer stored nutrients are available to be transported to developing grains in the wheat head. The wheat head and its spikelet?s (where grain formation occurs) can also be infected, resulting in very serious yield losses In badly affected wheat fields, yield losses of 35-50 percent can occur, while in the worst instances nearly total crop loss is possible. Although the current yellow rust epidemic has been reported to predominantly affect soft wheat varieties, regional crop scientists in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey indicate that spikelet infection has been observed in some hard wheat crops as well.
The Syrian government has preliminarily reported that 2010/11 wheat production may fall as low as 3.3 million tons, an 18 percent reduction from last year and 35 percent below record levels thought possible a month ago. Harvest activities are ongoing across the country, and are some 30-40 days earlier than normal. Crop scientists at ICARDA indicate that early infections occurred in wheat crops during February and March, coinciding with vegetative and reproductive growth stages. Government estimates in late April indicate that rust-infected wheat acreage totaled 442,000 hectares, of which 300,000 hectares were un-harvestable (total loss). The un-harvested acreage estimate equates to 19 percent of total planted wheat area in Syria this year. Owing to the latest field information from crop scientists in the country, and acknowledging that it is still early in the harvest, USDA currently estimates 2010/11 Syrian wheat production at 3.75 million tons, down 1.25 million or 25 percent from last month. Wheat crops not seriously infected with rust are still expected to produce higher yields than last year, given the ideal moisture conditions experienced during the winter.
TURKEY:
Of equal concern is the fate of wheat crops in both Turkey and Iran. The Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) has reported that yellow rust outbreaks have occurred in the Middle East?s two major wheat producers, who collectively account for 80 percent of total regional wheat production. Crop stage in these two countries are less advanced than in Syria, and have had similarly favorable environmental conditions for rust incubation and development. The severity of the epidemic in northern Syria ensured massive spore production occurred, with unknown consequences to adjoining wheat lands in Turkey. Local and regional officials in Turkey have reported yellow rust outbreaks in the prime Central Anatolian and southeastern wheat growing regions. The epidemic appears most concentrated, however, in Turkey?s southern and southeastern provinces where up to 20-25 percent of the national wheat crop is grown. Farmers have reported that the rust epidemic is widespread in these southern regions, and is affecting both soft and hard wheat crops. Wheat harvest activities are just beginning in southeastern Turkey and will continue into August in the later-maturing highland growing regions. Farmers have not reported the degree of yield loss in the hard-hit areas being harvested, so it is as yet uncertain what level of yield reduction has occurred. At this early stage USDA estimates 2010/11 wheat production in Turkey at 17.5 million tons, down 1.0 million or 5 percent from last month. Continued monitoring of crop yields and harvest progress will be needed to more accurately gauge the actual impact on national wheat production.
IRAN:
In Iran, outbreaks have been identified by BGRI and ICARDA scientists in north, western and southern provinces. The BGRI indicated that farmers in Iran had observed the outbreaks and had sprayed fungicides in order to attempt to control the spread of the infection. News updates, however, have not yet been posted to inform the public on the effectiveness of their efforts. USDA?s Middle East remote sensing program has been monitoring the region this winter and is currently seeing much less evidence of potential crop damage inside Iran when compared with its neighbors. One of the key observable signals of severely infected wheat crops is premature senescence or maturation of the crop. Prolonged exposure to the rust pathogen causes severe damage to the green leaf biomass, causing it to turn necrotic (yellow or brown). This premature loss of green vegetative crop biomass can be identified by satellites which measure the growth and development of the crop via normalized vegetation index?s or NDVI. The NDVI signal in virtually all severely infected regions this year indicates crops are entering maturation growth phases 4-6 weeks earlier than normal. In Iran, the nation?s wheat growing areas are widely dispersed in a very mountainous environment. Many areas may have been sheltered to some degree from exposure to rust spores generated in Syria and Turkey. Whatever the reason, satellite image analysis indicates Iran?s wheat crop is generally maturing on a normal schedule, with the exception of a few growing areas in the west and south which are maturing 2-4 weeks early. USDA is currently estimating Iran?s 2010/11 wheat production unchanged at 14.4 million tons.
IRAQ:
BGRI, ICARDA, and Iraqi field scientists have also confirmed yellow rust outbreaks in at least four northern Iraqi provinces, namely Ninawa, At-Tamin (Kirkuk), Arbil, and Salah ad Din. These four provinces normally account for 40 percent of the national wheat crop. Ninawa sits astride the northeastern Syrian border, and is the home of Iraq?s breadbasket, producing approximately 20 percent of the national wheat crop on its own. The most serious and concentrated rust infections in Syria were reported to have occurred in the northeastern province of Al-Hassakah, which shares a border with Ninawa.
Wheat crops in western, central and northern Ninawa are believed to be seriously infected. Northern Iraq, like Syria, had an extremely favorable winter rainfall pattern this year which contributed to record-level crop vegetative development. Lush wheat fields grew over large areas in the rust-affected provinces which had largely lain barren the past two years during a prolonged and severe drought. Much of the projected rebound in Iraq?s national wheat production outlook this year stemmed from the increased crop acreage and improved growing conditions in northern growing areas. The proximity of northern Iraq?s wheat lands to the rust epidemic in Syria, and the prevailing westerly wind direction, ensured it had a high probability of becoming infected. As of early June field scientists were not overly concerned with the degree of damage they were observing, indicating that crops in affected areas might suffer 10-15 percent yield declines. USDA currently estimates 2010/11 Iraq wheat production unchanged at 2.0 million tons. Provincial yield estimates, however, were much changed, with Ninawa, Arbil, and At Tamin being estimated lower, while crop yields in Dahuk and As Sulaymaniyah were increased. The regional wheat yield adjustments essentially canceled each other out. Foreign Agricultural Service reports concerning the harvest are expected in the next several months, and they will further reveal the extent of damage from this serious fungal epidemic.
Current USDA area and production estimates for grains and other agricultural commodities are available on IPAD's Agricultural Production page or at PSD Online.
Also see Map and photos :
http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2010/06/Middle East/
Shannon Bennett
Well-known member
Re: ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
You can't grow potatoes where wheat thrives. Wheat likes dry semi-arid regions and potatoes like water. Potatoes do best under irrigation and at higher altitudes. Potatoes grown at lower altitues are subject to some nasty diseases, especially if mono-cropped. Think Irish potato famine. One of the benefits of growing wheat is it rarely needs aplications of pesticides, herbicides or any other 'cides to produce a tremendous amount of food. That makes it cheap to produce. There are other grains but virtually all have drawbacks.
Most rice likes warm wet regions. You could grow barley, rye, quinoa, millet and oats instead but, those do not make suitable grains for most breads and noodles. They also do not usually produce as much in the same given space as does wheat. Some of those also have some climate restrictions for prime production. Corn while a nutritious grain, is also a water hungry plant and not suitable for areas in the world where wheat has traditionaly been grown. You also have to take into consideration what people traditionally eat. It is difficult to persuade even hungry people to remove one grain and replace it with another.
You can't grow potatoes where wheat thrives. Wheat likes dry semi-arid regions and potatoes like water. Potatoes do best under irrigation and at higher altitudes. Potatoes grown at lower altitues are subject to some nasty diseases, especially if mono-cropped. Think Irish potato famine. One of the benefits of growing wheat is it rarely needs aplications of pesticides, herbicides or any other 'cides to produce a tremendous amount of food. That makes it cheap to produce. There are other grains but virtually all have drawbacks.
Most rice likes warm wet regions. You could grow barley, rye, quinoa, millet and oats instead but, those do not make suitable grains for most breads and noodles. They also do not usually produce as much in the same given space as does wheat. Some of those also have some climate restrictions for prime production. Corn while a nutritious grain, is also a water hungry plant and not suitable for areas in the world where wheat has traditionaly been grown. You also have to take into consideration what people traditionally eat. It is difficult to persuade even hungry people to remove one grain and replace it with another.
Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Re: ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
<TABLE id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 class=formlayout border=0 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Archive Number</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20101021.3815</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Published Date</TD><TD noWrap align=left>21-OCT-2010</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Subject</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/PL> Stripe rust, wheat - Turkey, Syria</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
STRIPE RUST, WHEAT - TURKEY, SYRIA
**********************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: 20 Oct 2010
Source: Daily News/Bloomberg [edited]
<http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=disease-to-hurt-turkey8217s-wheat-crop-this-year-2010-10-20>
Turkey's wheat harvest, the Middle East's largest, probably fell 5.3
percent in 2010 after fungal disease and rain during harvesting hurt
the crop, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
said.
A "widespread infestation" of yellow rust cut yields, especially in
the region close to the border with Syria and Iraq, while "heavy"
rainfall in central Anatolia and Thrace just before and during
harvest also affected crops, particularly durum wheat. Sowing of
[cereal] winter crops for harvesting in 2011 has started under normal
weather conditions.
FAO also said Syria's wheat harvest probably will slide 18 percent in
2010. The low output is due to a widespread infestation of yellow
rust that, coupled with some frosts in late March 2010, has severely
affected wheat yields [ProMED-mail post 20100609.1930]. The new
strain of yellow rust might cause billions of dollars in crop losses,
the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas
[ICARDA] said [ProMED-mail post 20100531.1803].
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Stripe rust (also called yellow rust) of cereals is caused by the
fungus _Puccinia striiformis_ var. _striiformis_. It causes yellow
leaf stripes and stunting of plants with yield losses of 40 to 100
percent. The disease affects wheat, some barley varieties, triticale
(wheat/rye hybrids), and a number of wild grasses. Spores are wind
dispersed in several cycles during the cropping season, and the
fungus survives on living host plants generating a "green bridge"
between seasons. Disease management includes the use of resistant
varieties, fungicide applications, and control of volunteer crops.
New stripe rust strains with increased virulence are emerging, and
regional monitoring programmes are important to recognise them. A new
strain identified by ICARDA is currently causing serious stripe rust
outbreaks in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. Although
it is unclear whether strain identification was carried out in
Turkey, from the report above, it appears to be likely that the new
strain may also be present there. Breeding programmes for resistance
to stripe rust are in progress, but the process of releasing new
varieties to farmers is slow.
Maps
Turkey:
<http://media.maps.com/magellan/Images/TURKEY-W1.gif>
Syria:
<http://worriedlebanese.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/syria-w1.gif>
Pictures
Stripe rust on wheat leaf:
<http://www.grdc.com.au/uploads/images/Stripe%20rust%20Colin%20Wellings%20ACRCP.JPG>
Stripe rust on wheat head:
<http://gallery.cimmyt.org/main.php?g2_itemId=949>
Stripe rust on resistant and susceptible wheat cultivars:
<http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/wheat/Wheatimages/wheats1.jpg>
Barley with stripe rust:
<http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/Graphics/WAbarleyStripeRust.jpg>
Ryegrass with stripe rust:
<http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/plant_images/ryegrass_stripe_rust.jpg>
Links
Information on wheat stripe rust:
<http://pnw-ag.wsu.edu/smallgrains/Stripe%20Rust.html>,
<http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=9918&pf=1&cg_id=0>,
<http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/158964/stripe-rust-in-wheat.pdf>
and
<http://www.ksre.k-state.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Stripe%20Rust.asp>
Stripe rust management:
<http://www.grdc.com.au/uploads/documents/striperustmgt.pdf> and
<http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r730100511.html>
_P. striiformis_ taxonomy:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=427989>
ICARDA:
<http://www.icarda.org/>
- Mod.DHA]
[see also:
Stripe rust, wheat - Ethiopia 20100922.3420
Fungal diseases, cereals - Australia: alert 20100825.2989
Stripe rust, soft wheat - Syria (east) 20100609.1930
Stripe rust, wheat - Africa, Asia: new strain 20100531.1803
Stripe rust, wheat - USA: (AR) new strains, alert 20100510.1522
Stripe rust & downy mildew, cereals - USA: (TX) 20100504.1443
Fungal diseases, maize, wheat - USA 20100331.1017
Stripe rust, wheat - India, UK: alert 20100121.0234
2009
----
Stripe rust, wheat - Switzerland 20091228.4366
Stripe rust, wheat - UK (03): alert 20091218.4274
Cereal rusts - Australia: (WA) alert 20090820.2948
Stripe rust, wheat - Australia 20090813.2884
Stripe rust, wheat - Canada: (AB) alert 20090724.2614
Fungal diseases, cereal crops - China, Ireland 20090528.1983
Stripe rust, wheat - UK (02): new strain 20090514.1806
Rust diseases, wheat - UK, Pakistan 20090424.1543
Stripe rust, wheat - UK 20090417.1452
Stripe rust, wheat - India: new strain 20090329.1216
Wheat rusts - Kenya, India, Australia 20090312.1019
Rust diseases, wheat, mustard - India: (JK) 20090305.0897
Stripe rust, wheat - China 20090208.0579
2008
----
Stripe rust, wheat - Australia (02): (VIC) 20080916.2897
Stripe rust, wheat - Australia: (QLD, NSW), alert 20080716.2156
Cereal rusts - Australia: (NSW) 20080624.1945
Wheat stripe rust, oilseed rape sclerotinia - China 20080408.1297
Stripe rust, wheat - Denmark: new strains 20080211.0542
and older items in the archives]
.......................................dha/msp/lm
...
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,85422
<TABLE id=apex_layout_271110100662109808 class=formlayout border=0 summary=""><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Archive Number</TD><TD noWrap align=left>20101021.3815</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Published Date</TD><TD noWrap align=left>21-OCT-2010</TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap align=right>Subject</TD><TD noWrap align=left>PRO/PL> Stripe rust, wheat - Turkey, Syria</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
STRIPE RUST, WHEAT - TURKEY, SYRIA
**********************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: 20 Oct 2010
Source: Daily News/Bloomberg [edited]
<http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=disease-to-hurt-turkey8217s-wheat-crop-this-year-2010-10-20>
Turkey's wheat harvest, the Middle East's largest, probably fell 5.3
percent in 2010 after fungal disease and rain during harvesting hurt
the crop, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
said.
A "widespread infestation" of yellow rust cut yields, especially in
the region close to the border with Syria and Iraq, while "heavy"
rainfall in central Anatolia and Thrace just before and during
harvest also affected crops, particularly durum wheat. Sowing of
[cereal] winter crops for harvesting in 2011 has started under normal
weather conditions.
FAO also said Syria's wheat harvest probably will slide 18 percent in
2010. The low output is due to a widespread infestation of yellow
rust that, coupled with some frosts in late March 2010, has severely
affected wheat yields [ProMED-mail post 20100609.1930]. The new
strain of yellow rust might cause billions of dollars in crop losses,
the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas
[ICARDA] said [ProMED-mail post 20100531.1803].
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[Stripe rust (also called yellow rust) of cereals is caused by the
fungus _Puccinia striiformis_ var. _striiformis_. It causes yellow
leaf stripes and stunting of plants with yield losses of 40 to 100
percent. The disease affects wheat, some barley varieties, triticale
(wheat/rye hybrids), and a number of wild grasses. Spores are wind
dispersed in several cycles during the cropping season, and the
fungus survives on living host plants generating a "green bridge"
between seasons. Disease management includes the use of resistant
varieties, fungicide applications, and control of volunteer crops.
New stripe rust strains with increased virulence are emerging, and
regional monitoring programmes are important to recognise them. A new
strain identified by ICARDA is currently causing serious stripe rust
outbreaks in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. Although
it is unclear whether strain identification was carried out in
Turkey, from the report above, it appears to be likely that the new
strain may also be present there. Breeding programmes for resistance
to stripe rust are in progress, but the process of releasing new
varieties to farmers is slow.
Maps
Turkey:
<http://media.maps.com/magellan/Images/TURKEY-W1.gif>
Syria:
<http://worriedlebanese.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/syria-w1.gif>
Pictures
Stripe rust on wheat leaf:
<http://www.grdc.com.au/uploads/images/Stripe%20rust%20Colin%20Wellings%20ACRCP.JPG>
Stripe rust on wheat head:
<http://gallery.cimmyt.org/main.php?g2_itemId=949>
Stripe rust on resistant and susceptible wheat cultivars:
<http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/path-ext/factSheets/wheat/Wheatimages/wheats1.jpg>
Barley with stripe rust:
<http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/Graphics/WAbarleyStripeRust.jpg>
Ryegrass with stripe rust:
<http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/plant_images/ryegrass_stripe_rust.jpg>
Links
Information on wheat stripe rust:
<http://pnw-ag.wsu.edu/smallgrains/Stripe%20Rust.html>,
<http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=9918&pf=1&cg_id=0>,
<http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/158964/stripe-rust-in-wheat.pdf>
and
<http://www.ksre.k-state.edu/path-ext/factSheets/Wheat/Wheat%20Stripe%20Rust.asp>
Stripe rust management:
<http://www.grdc.com.au/uploads/documents/striperustmgt.pdf> and
<http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r730100511.html>
_P. striiformis_ taxonomy:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=427989>
ICARDA:
<http://www.icarda.org/>
- Mod.DHA]
[see also:
Stripe rust, wheat - Ethiopia 20100922.3420
Fungal diseases, cereals - Australia: alert 20100825.2989
Stripe rust, soft wheat - Syria (east) 20100609.1930
Stripe rust, wheat - Africa, Asia: new strain 20100531.1803
Stripe rust, wheat - USA: (AR) new strains, alert 20100510.1522
Stripe rust & downy mildew, cereals - USA: (TX) 20100504.1443
Fungal diseases, maize, wheat - USA 20100331.1017
Stripe rust, wheat - India, UK: alert 20100121.0234
2009
----
Stripe rust, wheat - Switzerland 20091228.4366
Stripe rust, wheat - UK (03): alert 20091218.4274
Cereal rusts - Australia: (WA) alert 20090820.2948
Stripe rust, wheat - Australia 20090813.2884
Stripe rust, wheat - Canada: (AB) alert 20090724.2614
Fungal diseases, cereal crops - China, Ireland 20090528.1983
Stripe rust, wheat - UK (02): new strain 20090514.1806
Rust diseases, wheat - UK, Pakistan 20090424.1543
Stripe rust, wheat - UK 20090417.1452
Stripe rust, wheat - India: new strain 20090329.1216
Wheat rusts - Kenya, India, Australia 20090312.1019
Rust diseases, wheat, mustard - India: (JK) 20090305.0897
Stripe rust, wheat - China 20090208.0579
2008
----
Stripe rust, wheat - Australia (02): (VIC) 20080916.2897
Stripe rust, wheat - Australia: (QLD, NSW), alert 20080716.2156
Cereal rusts - Australia: (NSW) 20080624.1945
Wheat stripe rust, oilseed rape sclerotinia - China 20080408.1297
Stripe rust, wheat - Denmark: new strains 20080211.0542
and older items in the archives]
.......................................dha/msp/lm
...
http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,85422
Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Re: ug99 Scientists warn of wheat disease
Ethiopia: Wheat disease hits Ethiopian regions
News - Africa news .Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - A wheat disease outbreak in the Oromia regional state of Ethiopia has destroyed 410,000 hectares of wheat field, the Food and Agricultural Organis ation (FAO) said in a weekly report Tuesday. The wheat rust, a fungal disease outbreak whose effect is comparable to polio virus in humans, has affected nearly 65,000 wheat farmers in parts of Central Ethiopia, extending to its Eastern and Southern regions, the report said.
continues at; http://www.afriquejet.com/news/afri...ase-hits-ethiopian-regions-2010110259940.html
Ethiopia: Wheat disease hits Ethiopian regions
News - Africa news .Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - A wheat disease outbreak in the Oromia regional state of Ethiopia has destroyed 410,000 hectares of wheat field, the Food and Agricultural Organis ation (FAO) said in a weekly report Tuesday. The wheat rust, a fungal disease outbreak whose effect is comparable to polio virus in humans, has affected nearly 65,000 wheat farmers in parts of Central Ethiopia, extending to its Eastern and Southern regions, the report said.
continues at; http://www.afriquejet.com/news/afri...ase-hits-ethiopian-regions-2010110259940.html