Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat

Rust on Wheat Stem

Welcome

World wheat production—and the food security of millions of the world's poorest people—is gravely threatened by a new highly virulent stem rust population, known as Ug99, emerging from East Africa.

The Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project, a collaborative effort begun in April 2008 by seventeen research institutions around the world and led by Cornell University, seeks to mitigate that threat through coordinated activities that will replace susceptible varieties with durably resistant varieties, created by accelerated multilateral plant breeding and delivered through optimized developing country seed sectors. The project also aims to harness recent advances in genomics to introduce non-host resistance (immunity) into wheat.

Improved international collaboration in wheat research to meet growing world demand for food—an estimated 50% production increase in wheat alone is needed by 2020—is another major goal of this project. For more information about how to get involved with this project, please contact the DRRW coordination office.

Feature

PDF icon BGRI 2009 Technical Workshop

When: 17-19 March 2009
Where: Cuidad Obregon, Mexico

Dr. Norman Borlaug will be one of the keynote speakers, and the meeting program will cover numerous topics of pressing importance: tracking wheat rust pathogens, breeding for rust resistance, impact projections, and many others. Scientists and policymakers are invited to attend.

To insure adequate accommodation, please inform us of your intention to participate in the 2009 Technical Workshop by 1 October 2008, by sending an email message to BGRI@cornell.edu.

Online registration will be available in September 2008 at the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative website.

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