New Wheat Stem Rust On The Move
30 May 2007 Ug99 has overcome many effective resistances, including those in the international germ plasm out of CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre) in Mexico City. Some resistance was found in US wheat lines, but it was not widespread. Wheat varieties resistant to stem rust disease containing the Sr31 gene were beaten by Ug99; breeders then located the Sr24 gene, which was effective until Ug99 mutated in 2006 and was able to overcome both Sr31 and Sr24. Additionally, fungicides have had variable results; wheat fields sprayed with Folicur three times were still wiped out due to the disease’s quick and early development.
Based on constant east African weather patterns, the stem rust should move north into Syria and Turkey, then further into Europe. It could possibly spread east into China and Russia, as well, with a natural spread to North and South America by 2010.
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