Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat

Objective 1. Planning for the Threat of Emerging Wheat Rust Variants

The primary output of this Objective will be an inclusive, high science, high impact Phase II proposal ready by June 2009.

Six meetings will be funded and facilitated through this Objective. Two will be topic-specific, “big-tent” free-thinking gatherings of the world’s best minds with the aim of stimulating early conceptualization of ideal combinations of science, people, and resources to address Activity 1.2 (see logframe below), molecular marker technologies in wheat (particularly SNPs), and Activity 1.1, the role of recent advances in pathogen genomics and molecular biology in the defense of the world’s wheat crop.

Two workshops will be held for geographically and institutionally dispersed Project scientists working on a common Objective. These workshops are considered part of Activity 1.3. As with all meetings, these will include experts from outside the Project but are aimed at facilitating intra-project communication and resolution of best practices that can be implemented during Phase I, and/or planned for Phase II. The two Phase I Objectives that will hold workshops are Objective 5, Breeding (in conjunction with the ICARDA-CIMMYT Wheat Improvement Program meeting) and Objective 9, Exploring Rice Immunity to Rust.

The first Annual Workshop of the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat Project will be held in Cd. Obregon, Mexico in March 2009. This workshop is planned to be combined with a full meeting of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative. The Project Workshop will seek to facilitate information exchange, updates on progress, and an update on the status of the Phase II planning.

The Phase II planning process would be fully activated by January 2009 (Activity 1.4). The Cornell Management team, in consultation with the External Project Advisory Committee and Project Team Leaders, will engage in a process of identifying the outline of the Phase II proposal.

This Objective will also orchestrate a process that resolves country specific plans to optimize the seed sectors (Activity 1.3). Seed is the most efficient mechanism for delivering rust resistant wheat varieties to farmers. Inadequate or late availability and access to quality seed is expected to be a limiting bottleneck to rapid adoption and dissemination of new durable rust resistant varieties and associated production technologies. Analyses of a country’s wheat seed sector will be developed in consultation with target country’s NARs leadership. Seven countries will be targeted in Phase I.

This Objective will also facilitate planning for Socioeconomic Monitoring and Assessment. Generating appropriate information and creating awareness among policy makers and other decision makers about the threat of stem rust are essential in establishing the right impact pathways for resistant wheat varieties and other technologies to mitigate the negative impacts. The objective in planning for the socio-economic monitoring and assessment activity will be to determine the appropriate means of assisting wheat farmers and agricultural policy and decision makers to reduce vulnerability to stem rust race Ug99 and other virulent races of rust.

Logframe for Objective 1. Planning for the Threat of Emerging Wheat Rust Variants
Activities	Outputs	Outcomes (Short and Long Term)
Activity 1.1 Conduct convening on how to promote and exploit advances in pathogen genomics and molecular biology to combat wheat rusts.	Expert-vetted list of ongoing and needed outcome-oriented research activities prioritized by magnitude and timing of impact. Report posted to project website. Enhanced communication and cooperation among global actors. Recruitment of additional players to work on P. graminis Identification of potential funding sources.	Breakthroughs in rust resistance/immunity occurred earlier through best science employing pathogen genomics and molecular biology
Activity 1.2 Conduct convening on how to promote and exploit advances in host molecular marker technologies to combat wheat rusts.	Expert-vetted list of outcome-oriented research activities prioritized by magnitude and timing of impact. Report posted to project website. Enhanced communication among global actors in the relevant range of disciplines including wheat breeding and genetics, and contemporary molecular marker technologies, with a focus on improving access for breeders to markers that they will use Identification of potential funding sources. Agreement on processes leading to submission of funding proposals for SNP development.	Duplication minimized and synergies maximized among scientists working on marker development and optimization. Access to critical rust resistance gene markers not limited for breeding programs targeting resource poor farmers. SNP based markers employed in breeding for resource poor farmers sooner because of research and impact paths identified at convening.
Activity 1.3 Conduct country specific consultative planning with at-risk NARS, seed sector actors, regional CG scientists, and donors to identify interventions required to accelerate timing and scale of impact of new rust resistant varieties.	Five to seven country-specific wheat seed sector SWOT or similar analyses generated by independent consultants. Public component posted to project website. Countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India. For the targeted countries, report of NARS endorsed interventions required to maximize effectiveness of seed sectors, both pre- and post variety release. Increased international coordination for access and release of wheat varieties resistant to Ug99 and derivatives Identification of potential funding sources.	Solvable problems in at-risk country Seed Sectors did not retard timing or scope of impact of rust resistant varieties on resource poor farmers.
Activity 1.4 Develop follow-on phase II proposal with broad input from appropriate experts	Best-science based comprehensive phase II proposal inclusive of phase I components where appropriate plus additional components; including but not limited to ones which focus on seed, socio-economics, information technology, pathogen diagnostics, next-generation molecular markers, and expanded (based on current state of science) activities in non-host resistance. Submission to BMGF June 2009. Recruitment of all possible matching or in-kind funding. Recruitment of the world’s best experts as cooperators.	A best-science, highest impact Phase II proposal developed through a process characterized by transparency and inclusiveness.