Wheat Rust Moving to South Asia

HARVEST Indian farmers harvest wheat in the village of Chaina.
Photo by AFP

Experts warn that Ug99, a virulent and dangerous strain of wheat rust, could be headed for South Asia. The region produces nearly a fifth of the world’s wheat (19%) for a population of 1.4 billion people.

Research released at the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) 2009 Technical Workshop in Mexico in March confirmed that Ug99 is now in Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, and Yemen. Ug99 was discovered in Uganda 10 years ago.

BGRI said an update from the Global Cereal Rust Monitoring System shows that the mutated fungus could be moving toward South Asia. Wind models used in the monitoring system also indicate that Ug99 could soon travel to the Caucasus, Central Asia, or Afghanistan.

Scientists are racing to develop new varieties of wheat that can resist the windborne fungus named “rust” because of its reddish color. They estimate that 90% of varieties planted around the world are vulnerable to the disease.

BGRI is a group led by, among others, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Syria-based International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Cornell University, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Both CIMMYT and ICARDA are supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. •