It’s not here yet, but a federal scientist says local farmers should still watch for a killer wheat disease that’s stalking the globe.
Federal stem rust pathologist Tom Fetch held a talk on Ug99 stem rust last week at the annual FarmTech conference in Edmonton. Stem rust is a fungal disease notorious for its ability to wipe out wheat. This particular strain is virulent to most wheat species and is spreading through Africa and the Middle East.
The disease spreads by spores that grow on the stems of wheat, Fetch says, creating large rusty brown spots. “When they come out, you’ll see these big pustules that rip open the epidermis,” he says, causing the plant to lose water and collapse. Uncontrolled, the disease can literally flatten fields and wipe out crops.
Stem rust was a big problem in the 1920s and 1950s, Fetch says, where outbreaks stomped wheat crops throughout the Prairies. Fungicides plus a mass extermination of its alternate host, the barberry bush, have reined it in. Nowadays, it usually blows in from the U.S. to affect dew-prone areas. “For the most part, if you don’t get dew, you probably won’t get rust.”
This latest strain was first identified in Uganda in 1999, Fetch says — hence its name — and soon spread to Kenya, Sudan and Yemen. Researchers expect it to soon hit major wheat production areas in India and Pakistan, which could cause massive food shortages.
The disease hasn’t hit Canada yet, Fetch says, but his research suggests that it would have a devastating effect if it did. “Ninety per cent of the wheat varieties in the world are susceptible,” he says, as are about 85 per cent of those grown in Canada. Just two Canadian lines, AC Cadillac and Peace, are highly resistant to the disease.
Ug99 would have to blow over the Atlantic or Pacific to reach us naturally, he continues, but it could also hitch a ride on a tourist. “Ug99 can be brought into North America at any time,” he says, and there’s not much we can do to stop it. “It’s not really a matter of if it will come here, but when it will come here.”
Fetch is part of a $13-million research project with Agriculture Canada looking to breed varieties resistant to Ug99, as well as a similar international effort. He says he hopes to use Canada’s Cadillac and Peace varieties to create new lines to use throughout the world.
Stem rust isn’t even on the radar for most Sturgeon County farmers, says AndrĂ© Montpetit of Sturgeon Valley Fertilizer, as they don’t grow much of it. “Wheat or barley is just something that gets in the way of them growing canola.”
Anyone who thinks they’ve spotted the disease in their field should call Alberta Agriculture, Fetch says.
Sturgeon County farmers can expect a mostly pest-free summer this year, predicts a provincial specialist, but should keep an eye on their roots for cutworms.
Provincial insect management specialist Scott Meers presented his annual farm pest forecast at last week’s FarmTech conference. He predicted little to no chance of an outbreak in Sturgeon County for all the pests the province monitored, including Bertha armyworm, wheat midge and grasshopper.
“Things are pretty low up in that corner of the world,” he says. Less than 100 armyworm moths per trap were detected throughout the region, suggesting little chance of an outbreak. Last year’s wet conditions should have lead to a surge in wheat midges, but that hasn’t materialized. Grasshopper numbers were not high enough to pose any economic threat.
The two big question marks are diamondback moths and cutworms, Meers says. Diamondbacks are tough to predict, as their numbers depend entirely on the size of their migration up from the U.S. “We may have issues with cutworms in 2011,” he adds, as they were big in 2010. Watch for crops that appear to be chopped off at the base, he suggests — cutworms fell crops like trees.
The most recent pest forecast maps can be found in the maps section of www.agric.gov.ab.ca.
