China wheat disease epidemic

[Potemkin]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_10776740.htm

China warns of wheat disease epidemic, control efforts urgent
www.chinaview.cn 2009-02-07 00:24:33 Print

BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) warned Friday of the widespread of the fungus Puccinia striiformis, also known as stripe rust, a wheat disease that could cause huge losses.

It is bad news for China's summer harvest as the nation continues its war against rare drought conditions.

The fungus, one of the most dangerous wheat diseases, was likely to prevail across the nation due to the abnormal climate, MOA said in an emergency notice.

The disease has affected more than 11.3 million mu (753,000 hectares) of wheat in seven provinces by Feb. 5, 4.6 million mu more than the same period last year.

The northwestern Gansu and Ningxia saw the worst outbreak in 19years.The situation in the southwestern Sichuan and Guizhou provinces was worse than ever before, according to data released by the MOA on Friday.

The ministry urged local authorities to attach great importance to disease control while fighting against the rare drought that has gripped north China. Local government should take preemptive measures to protect the summer harvest.

Disease control knowledge should be spread via television, radio, text message and print bulletins to keep every farmer well-informed, MOA said.

The ministry will also enhance crackdown on fake pesticide producers to scams targeted at desperate farmers.

China's wheat harvest this year could be threatened as the unprecedented drought has affected 161 million mu of crops in northern China as of Feb. 6, leaving 4.37 million people and 2.1 million livestock short of drinking water, according to data released by the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

[Kassy]

ProMed comments on article.

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[Stripe rust (also called yellow rust) of cereal crops is caused by
the fungus _Puccinia striiformis_ var. _striiformis_ and occurs
mostly in cooler climates. It causes yellow leaf stripes, stunting of
plants, and reduces grain production with yield losses of 40 to 100
percent. It affects wheat, some barley varieties, triticale
(wheat-rye hybrids), and a number of grass species. Spores are wind
dispersed in several cycles during the cropping season. Grasses and
volunteer wheat may generate a "green bridge" providing inoculum for
the next cropping season. Disease management includes the use of
resistant varieties, fungicide applications, and control of volunteer wheat.

Disease monitoring is important so timely action can be taken to
limit the spread of the pathogen as well as build-up of inoculum.
Last year (2008), a quarter of the wheat growing area in China was
reported to be affected by stripe rust (see ProMED-mail post no.
20080408.1297), and it appears that the situation has become worse.
New pathogen strains with increased virulence have been reported in
recent years from wheat growing areas in Europe, North America and
Australia, and resistance breeding programmes have been set up to
counteract this trend. It remains to be clarified whether a new
strain may be contributing to the difficulties of controlling the
disease in China.

For more information on stripe rust see links and previous posts below.

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?..._ID:1000,76060