Comments on: Ug99: No more cheap white bread http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2007/04/07/ug99-no-more-cheap-white-bread/ Hardy plants for hardy souls Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:38:06 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Julian Thomas http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2007/04/07/ug99-no-more-cheap-white-bread/comment-page-1/#comment-37548 Julian Thomas Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:43:27 +0000 http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2007/04/07/ug99-no-more-cheap-white-bread/#comment-37548 The rust characterised as Ug99 has now spread out of Africa to Yemen (2006) and onto Iran (2007). Testing in Kenya suggests that most North American varieties are susceptible. In Canada we only have two varieties that display a high level of resistance. Of course Ug99 and its derivatives are presently not in North America but are now within striking distance of the large acreages of wheat on the Indian subcontinent and then on to China. The destruction wrought on a susceptible variety by a stem rust epidemic is indeed something to see. Testing in Kenya has shown that the availability of effective resistance sources among experimental varieties (ie. avilable for breeding resistant varieties) is also quite limited. The most likely scenario for stem rust to arrive in Noerth America is that it will be walked in unintentionally by someone travelling on a airplane. This for instance is how stripe rust recently arrived in Australia. The world wide genetic vulnerability of common wheat to this race of stem rust is hard to exaggerate. Durum (pasta wheat) however appears to be more resistant. The rust characterised as Ug99 has now spread out of Africa to Yemen (2006) and onto Iran (2007). Testing in Kenya suggests that most North American varieties are susceptible. In Canada we only have two varieties that display a high level of resistance.

Of course Ug99 and its derivatives are presently not in North America but are now within striking distance of the large acreages of wheat on the Indian subcontinent and then on to China. The destruction wrought on a susceptible variety by a stem rust epidemic is indeed something to see. Testing in Kenya has shown that the availability of effective resistance sources among experimental varieties (ie. avilable for breeding resistant varieties) is also quite limited. The most likely scenario for stem rust to arrive in Noerth America is that it will be walked in unintentionally by someone travelling on a airplane. This for instance is how stripe rust recently arrived in Australia.

The world wide genetic vulnerability of common wheat to this race of stem rust is hard to exaggerate. Durum (pasta wheat) however appears to be more resistant.

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