Aleppo, Syria
March 20, 2008
Scientists and researchers from
all over the world met at the
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
(ICARDA) to standardize protocols and strengthen international
collaboration to combat Stem Rust, a devastating wheat disease
that is quickly spreading across the Near East and West Asia
region.
The two-day “Stem Rust Baseline Survey Workshop on Standardizing
Protocols and International Collaboration” was held at ICARDA,
Aleppo, Syria on 10 and11 March. The workshop was jointly
organized by ICARDA, CIMMYT, FAO and Cornell University, USA
under the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative.
Some 49 scientists and researchers from national agriculture
research systems of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya,
Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay
and Yemen, and various international research institutes
attended the workshop.
Agriculture scientists are endeavoring to stop the spread of the
devastating fungus, which has now been found in Iran.
Historically, sporadic epidemics of stem rust, also known as
black rust, have plagued wheat production. An outbreak of the
disease in North America in the 1950s destroyed up to 40% of the
spring wheat crop.
Stem rust is once again on the move. In 1999, scientists
discovered a new strain of the fungus in Uganda, now known as
Ug99 that has defeated the resistance in varieties that were
resistant to stem rust in the past. Over the past few years,
Ug99 has infected crops in North and East African countries and
in early 2006 it was found in Yemen.
Dr Mahmoud Solh, ICARDA Director General, inaugurating the
workshop underscored the need for a concerted global effort to
contain the spread of the devastating stem rust, Ug99.
“We all know that Ug99 is capable of causing enormous losses to
wheat production and food security in the Horn of Africa, the
Nile Valley countries, West Asia, North Africa and even
worldwide unless it is controlled through deployment of wheat
varieties with durable rust resistance, and other means to
combat the spread of disease. This effort is beyond the capacity
of any one country or any one institution. This certainly needs
a global effort,” Dr Solh said.
The Director General said that the biggest casualty thus far had
been in Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen. “However, the race has now
arrived in Iran, a country with 6 million hectares of wheat. The
pathogen is certainly moving quicker than originally
anticipated. Therefore, surveillance, monitoring and tracking of
this new strain is essential for establishing an integrated
strategy for control of the disease.” Dr Solh said.
Dr Solh pointed out that Ug99 was confirmed in Yemen as had been
predicted based on the knowledge of earlier movements of Yellow
Rust. “We have the conviction that Ug99 will spread beyond Iran
faster and may take additional pathways. With the long distance
travel of rust spores, it is only a matter of time until Ug99
spreads further into the Near East, the Mediterranean Region
including N. Africa and South Europe and possibly Eastern
Europe, Russia, Central Asian countries, South Asia and East
Asia,” he cautioned. It is certainly a serious threat to global
food security.
In October last year scientists and researchers had met in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia to establish an early warning system to check
the spread of stem rust. Based on their deliberations
researchers had set up a survey system that would help them
identify spread of the fungus.
Established in 1977, ICARDA is one of the 15 international
research centers supported by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICARDA serves the
entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil,
and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm
management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity
of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and
management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North
Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement
of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes
and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of
the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a strategic
alliance of countries, international and regional organizations,
and private foundations supporting15 international research
centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote
sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty,
improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the
environment. |
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