Title: South Asia surveillance training held in Nepal and Bangladesh

A team of wheat research scientists recently visited the national wheat research programs of Nepal and Bangladesh to participate in training workshops on the pathology and surveillance of the rust diseases of wheat. Professor Zakkie Pretorius (University of the Free State, South Africa), Dr. Mohinder Prashar (Flowerdale Research Center, DWR, Shimla, India), Dr. Dave Hodson (GIS expert with the UN-FAO) and Dr. Gordon Cisar (wheat breeder and Associate Director of the Cornell DRRW project) participated in the workshops organized by Sathguru Management Consultants in collaboration with Cornell University and CIMMYT.

Wheat was a relatively minor crop in Nepal until the 1960s, but now occupies 22% of the total cereal area. Per capita consumption was 17.4 kg in 1972, but is now the third most important cereal crop with per capita consumption of 60 kg. (2007). Improved varieties occupy 95% of the area. There are a number of private sector companies providing seed of improved varieties, with many of the newer varieties in development (BL3203, BL3235, Danphe, Frankolin) providing improved resistance to yellow rust and/or stem rust (Ug99). Bipolaris leaf blight, however, remains as the primary pathogen of wheat in Nepal.

The four-day workshop in Nepal, held from 23-26 February, was hosted by the institute for the National Wheat Research Programme in Bhairahawa, in collaboration with CIMMYT and led by Dr. Tripathi. Workshop participants heard lectures on the status of Ug99, cereal rust surveillance and monitoring systems, protocols for sample and data collection and wheat rust race analysis and nomenclature and epidemiology. During the field visits to the hills and the terai (plains), participants were trained in the use of the GPS system and its applications and the scoring of the yellow rust in the field. Participants also went to the wheat stem-rust trap plot nursery and laboratories and learned about the procedure for sample storage and field inoculations using ultra low volume sprayers.

The training session in Bangladesh, from 1-3 March, was presented at the wheat research center of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute in Dinajpur, led by Dr. P.K. Malaker. Wheat and rice are the staple foods of Bangladesh. Declining water levels, however, may indicate an increased reliance on wheat in the future. Warm temperatures and high humidity favor a number of wheat diseases, including the currently predominant pathogen, Bipolaris Leaf Blight. BARI gom 25 and BARI gom 26 are among the newest varietal releases. Dr. Malaker led the group on field tours of the impressive wheat research center at Dinajpur, as well as field tours to surrounding wheat production areas. Dr. Hodson demonstrated the GPS technology to surveillance for the rust pathogens.

Both workshops strongly emphasized the monitoring of stem rust due to the expected migration pattern of the Ug99 race to South Asia. The collection, dispatch and analysis of samples were highlighted with a view of entering the data into the international Rust Mapper program, which enables researchers to follow the occurrence of rust races, and thus be informed regarding the potential for risks in specific countries and production areas.
For more information about the workshops, see the South Asia Surveillance training (pdf)
See also the April 11 CIMMYT blog post

-- Gordon Cisar and Akshat Meddaker

Participants in the Feb 23-28 surveillance training workshop held at BARI in Dinajpur, Bangladesh: Left to right, Visha Venugopalan (Sathguru), G.P. Das, Gordon Cisar (Cornell University), David Hodson (UN-FAO), Harun ur Rashid (BARI), Zakkie Pretorius (University of Free State).

Photo courtesy G. P. Das


Participants in the Feb 23-28 surveillance training workshop held at BARI in Dinajpur, Bangladesh.

Photo courtesy G. P. Das




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newsroom447: April 2011 Newsletter
Article: newsroom445 (permalink)
Categories: :newsroom:newsletter
Date: May 4, 2011; 2:50:43 PM UTC
Author Name: John Bakum
Author ID: John