ICARDA News

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105;
E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.org
11 October 2007
Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG), Ravi R. Prasad (r.prasad@cgiar.org)
 
Early Warning System for Wheat Stem Rust
An international consultation to explore the possibility of establishing an early warning system to check the spread of deadly stem rust of wheat was held at ILRI in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1-3 October.
Dr Alan Paul Roelfs (right), a consultant with GRI, and Dr Amor Yahyoui (second from left) in discussion with Ethiopian scientists in a wheat field at Kulumsa Agricultural Research Station in Ethiopia.
Scientists and researchers from ICARDA, CIMMYT, FAO, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, Yemen, USA, Australia and Canada attended the consultation to devise a strategy for the establishment of monitoring and forecasting mechanisms for various races of stem rust, particularly a very virulent new form, known as Ug99.

"We want to establish a mechanism for early warning, monitoring and forecasting the movement of stem rust across the globe by using geographic information systems (GIS). It would involve having people on the ground to know how far the new race has spread into farmers' crops. Once we can find out its location, we can then be more accurate in predicting where the stem rust might go next based on crop and weather information. We are looking at the model adopted by FAO to forecast the movement of locusts," said Dr Amor Yahyaoui, Senior Cereal Pathologist at ICARDA, and convener of the rust surveillance group of the Global Rust Initiative (GRI). The GRI is supported by the Arab Fund, Canada, India and USAID.

It was in 1999 in Uganda that scientists discovered Ug99 that has defeated defenses in varieties that were resistant until the recent past. Over the past few years, Ug99 has infected crops in North and East African countries and early this year it was found in Yemen. The stem rust now poses a major threat to the Arabian Peninsula, Middle East and South Asia, which have vast wheat cultivation areas.

An early warning system based on FAO's Desert Locust Information Service could help forecast the movement of stem rust. Both locust and stem rust follow the wind currents and stem rust spores are carried long distances by wind.

"The big challenge in addressing the Ug99 problem is the collection of the required data in the field. Once you have the data, you need to transmit it rapidly to scientists to analyze it. Conclusions from that analysis will then suggest early warning measures and intervention options to stop or limit further spread of the rust," said Dr Keith Cressman, Locust Survey and Forecasting Officer at FAO.

The Desert Locust Information Service is based on using a small handheld device, called e-Locust, which transmits data in real time from the field to a national center and from there to its Rome-based headquarters. Early warnings are issued based on the date of receipt of the data from the field.

Dr Cressman said that early warning system for desert locust has been functioning very well over the last few decades. "We think that there might be lessons that can be learned and utilized in the monitoring of stem rust and putting out early warning messages of its dispersal to other parts of the world, allowing timely response." he said. One of those responses would be developing wheat varieties with durable resistance to stem rust, which is one of the major objectives of the Global Rust Initiative.
  

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) 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) (www.cgiar.org) 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.
Back