Alert – Jan 9, 2015: Summary of Ethiopia 2014/15 rust situation. Re-current, localized stem rust epidemics caused by race TKTTF (“Digalu” race) in Ethiopia. Extreme caution and vigilance needed in East Africa

Following the localized stem rust epidemics in Ethiopia on the cultivar “Digalu” in 2013/14 (see report 23rd Dec 2013); continued, severe stem rust outbreaks have been observed in the 2014/15 main season. Once again the popular cultivar “Digalu” has been … Continue reading

Oct. 30th, 2012: Zimbabwe rust survey summary – Stem and Leaf rust at low levels, but indications of possible new leaf rust races

Following the widespread distribution of rusts diseases observed in 2011 main season, a survey team co-led by Mr Bruce Mutari (Crop Breeding Institute) and Mrs Mutisi (Plant Protection Research Institute) carried out surveys throughout the key wheat growing areas of … Continue reading

July 3, 2012: Eighth new Ug99 variant identified – Race TTKSF+ confirmed in South Africa and Zimbabwe

stem rust samples collected from Afrikaskop, Eastern Free State, South Africa in Dec. 2010 and Birchenough, Eastern Zimbabwe in Sept. 2010 have been confirmed to be a new variant in the Ug99 lineage. The confirmed findings have just been published … Continue reading

May 14, 2012: Initial rust surveys in Bhutan find no trace of stem rust, but both yellow and leaf rust widespread

Cereal rust surveys were undertaken by the National Plant Protection Centre, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, Semtokha, Thimpu, Bhutan and the Research and Development Centre, Bajo, Wangduephodrang in collaboration with the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat (DRRW) … Continue reading

Race Nomenclature

Several different systems exist for race nomenclature of stem rust and there is no single standard unified system. This meets the need of individual countries, but makes international comparison a difficult task. In a recent international survey of rust labs … Continue reading

CAUTION: February 2, 2017: Risk of wheat stem rust in Mediterranean Basin in the forthcoming 2017 crop season following outbreaks on Sicily in 2016

Results of extensive lab tests of samples of stem rust have shown that the 2016 stem rust epidemics in Sicily were caused by a new, highly virulent variant of race TTTTF. The samples were collected during serious and unusual outbreaks … Continue reading