FAO alerts India on deadly wheat fungus

NEW DELHI: The UN agency Food and Agriculture Organisation has alerted six countries including India on dangerous wheat fungus, which is capable of wreaking havoc on wheat production by destroying entire fields. "Countries like Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, all major wheat producers, are the most threatened by the fungus and should be on high alert," FAO said on its website.

The deadly wheat fungus, also known as 'Ug 99', is a wind-borne transboundary pest. It was previously found in East Africa and Yemen and has now been detected in Iran, the UN agency said. FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division head Shivaji Pandey said, "The detection of the wheat rust fungus in Iran is very worrisome. The fungus is spreading rapidly and could seriously lower wheat production in countries at direct risk."

FAO has estimated that as much as 80 per cent of all wheat varieties planted in Asia and Africa are susceptible to the wheat stem rust (Puccinia graminis). The spores of wheat rust are mostly carried by wind over long distances and across continents. "Affected countries and the international community have to ensure that the spread of the disease gets under control in order to reduce the risk to countries that are already hit by high food prices," Pandey said.

The UN agency said the disease surveillance and wheat breeding is already underway to monitor the fungus and to develop Ug99 resistant varieties. However, more efforts are required to develop long term durable resistant varieties that can be made available to farmers in affected countries and countries at risk. Meanwhile, it urged countries to increase disease surveillance and intensify efforts to control the disease.