THE INCURSION OF NEW WHEAT STEM RUST RACES INTO THE UNITED STATES: PREPARATION THRU RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND EXTENSION

  • Isard, Scott Alan (PI)

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

New races of the wheat stem rust pathogen (Ug99) may enter the U.S. at anytime. Ug99 was first detected in Africa and has recently spread to Iran. The pathogen can be blown long distances and the likelihood of inadvertent human-mediated spread is considerable. The U.S. grows 60 million acres of wheat valued at $13 billion and potential loss to Ug99 could exceed $10 billion. Most U.S. wheat and barley cultivars are susceptible to Ug99. Wide deployment of resistant cultivars will likely require 7-10 years and until then the first line of defense will be applications of fungicides. We will develop research, extension, and education components of an IPM program to provide growers with efficient in-season stem rust management to protect their crop yields and profits between the time Ug99 enters the U.S. and deployment of cultivars with durable long-term resistance to this pathogen. This Integrated Project addresses both 2008 Plant Biosecurity Program priorities. We will develop rapid diagnostic procedures for identifying Ug99, train NPDN staff to use these PCR tools, and facilitate improvement of U.S. wheat germplasm. We will integrate observations from disease monitoring and spore collection networks with aerobiology modeling to provide growers with early warning of disease spread once Ug99 arrives. We will work with stakeholders to enhance monitoring programs and provide an Internet-based platform for communicating information critical for management decision making. Finally, we will develop a university aerobiology course to teach state-of-the-art methods for responding to threats from invasive organisms to the next generation of scientists.

StatusFinished
Effective start/end date3/1/092/28/13

Funding

  • National Institute of Food and Agriculture: $999,990.00

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