US Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend an additional $3 million per year on research to combat Fusarium head blight, more
commonly known as wheat scab.

"This is a substantial, needed boost to our already aggressive, national effort to stop scab," Glickman said, in a speech to the National Farmers Union Convention. The new funding builds on the $500,000 that USDA has allocated for scab research each year since 1997.

Fusarium head blight, a fungal disease, shrivels kernels of wheat and other cereal grain crops such as barley. It also produces toxins that can make crops unsuitable for flour, cereals or malt--and too toxic for sale as animal feed. From 1991 to 1997, American farmers lost 470 million
bushels of wheat, worth $2.6 billion, because of the scab epidemic.

USDA's Agricultural Research Service will distribute the new funds to university researchers and ARS research facilities. The researchers are part of the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, a consortium of 20 state universities, supported by more than 40 national wheat- and barley-related
organizations and numerous individuals.

"Minnesota and the Dakotas, hit hard by this destructive disease, play a major role in this research," Glickman said. "From 1993 to 1998, Red River Valley communities in those states suffered more economic damage from scab-induced crop failures than from the 1997 floods."

Researchers at North Dakota State University at Fargo will receive a total of $833,000, including $221,000 for food safety research and $53,000 for biological control and pesticide development. University of Minnesota at St. Paul researchers will receive $338,000, including $137,000 to further expand efforts to develop scab-resistant spring wheat for the area. The seed for a
scab-tolerant transitional spring wheat is expected to be released to growers this spring. This is the third variety developed by ARS and the University of Minnesota that offers limited scab resistance, but it is the first to maintain high yields.

The funds will be distributed to scientists at land-grant universities and ARS labs, as follows:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. - $39,000
University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. - $15,000
University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. - $87,000
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. - $126,000
Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan. - $34,000
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. - $49,000
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La. - $15,000
University of Maryland, College Park, Md. - $5,000
Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich. - $410,000
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. - $338,000
University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. - $122,000
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb. - $86,000
Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. - $45,000
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. - $44,000
North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D. - $833,000
Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio - $135,000
South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D. - $160,000
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va. - $39,000
Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. - $29,000

ARS Crop Improvement and Utilization Research Unit, Albany, Calif. - $50,000
ARS Bioactive Agents Research Unit, Peoria, Ill. - $72,000
ARS Soybean and Alfalfa Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Md. - $45,000
ARS Cereal Disease Lab, St. Paul, Minn. - $90,000
ARS Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, N.C. - $15,000
ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, Fargo, N.D. - $50,000
ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, Madison, Wis. - $35,000

El Secretario de Agricultura Dan Glickman anunció hoy que el Departamento de Agricultura (USDA siglas en inglés) gastará $3 millónes adicional por año en la investigación para combatir una enfermedad de trigo conocido por el nombre en inglés Fusarium Head Blight o Wheat Scab.

"Esta es un empuje substancial para nuestra obra agresivo nacional que ya esta en lugar para parar enfermedad," dijo Glickman. Este fondo adicional reforzar el $500,000 por año que USDA ha colocado para esta investigación desde 1977.

Fusarium Head Blight, una enfermedad fungicidal, arruga las semillas del trigo y también otras siembras de granos cereales como la cebada. También produce toxinas que hacen las siembras inútil para harina, cereales o malta--y demasiado tóxico para el alimiento de animales. Desde  1991 a 1997, los agricultores norté americanos tuvieron millónes en perdidas, valor de $2.6 billónes, a causa de la enfermedad.

El Servicio de Investigación Agrícola (ARS siglas en inglés) de USDA distribuiré los fondos nuevos a los investigadores en las universidades en 20 estados, así como a 7 facilidades de investigaciónes de ARS. Los investigadores son parte del Iniciativo De La Enfermedad de Trigo y
Cebada, un consorcio de 20 universidades estatales , susteniendo más de 40 organizaciónes nacionales de trigo y cebada y industrias y numerosos individuos.

"Minnesota y las Dakotas, parte del país con el golpe más duro de esta enfermedad destructiva, han jugado un papel mayor en esta investigación," dijo Glickman. "Desde 1993 a 1998, las comunidades de Red River Valley en esos lugares han sufrido màs daño económicamente de las perdidas que en la inundación de 1997."

Científicos de la Universidad del Estado North Dakota en Fargo recibiran un total de $833,000. Esto incluye $221,000 para la investigación de alimentos seguridades, y $53,000 para control biológico y pesticida desenvolvimiento. Investigadores en la Universidad de Minnesota en St Paul recibiran un total de $338,000. De estos fundos, $137,000 ira al programa para desarrollar
resistencias a la enfermedad en trigo de la primavera para la área. La semilla del trigo de la primavera que tiene tolerencia para la enfermedad esta esperada estar soltado a cultivadores esta primavera. Esta es la terced variedad desarrollada por ARS y la Universidad de Minnesota que ofrece resistencia limitada pero es el primero que mantiene réditos altos.

El resto de los fondos seran distribuido a científicos en otras universidades y laboratorios de ARS para investigaciónes parecidos, como lo siguiente:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. - $39,000
University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. - $15,000
University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. - $87,000
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. - $126,000
Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kan. - $34,000
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. - $49,000
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, La. - $15,000
University of Maryland, College Park, Md. - $5,000
Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich. - $410,000
University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. - $338,000
University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. - $122,000
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb. - $86,000
Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. - $45,000
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. - $44,000
North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D. - $833,000
Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio - $135,000
South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D. - $160,000
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va. - $39,000
Washington State University, Pullman, Wash. - $29,000

ARS Crop Improvement and Utilization Research Unit, Albany, Calif. - $50,000
ARS Bioactive Agents Research Unit, Peoria, Ill. - $72,000
ARS Soybean and Alfalfa Research Laboratory, Beltsville, Md. - $45,000
ARS Cereal Disease Lab, St. Paul, Minn. - $90,000
ARS Plant Science Research Unit, Raleigh, N.C. - $15,000
ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, Fargo, N.D. - $50,000
ARS Cereal Crops Research Unit, Madison, Wis. - $35,000

Scientific contact:
Roy Gingery
National Program Leader for Plant Health
ARS, Beltsville, Md.
Phone (301) 504-6915
E-mail:reg@ars.usda.gov.

ARS News Service
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
March 8, 1999
Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, dcomis@asrr.arsusda.gov

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