Development of Wheat Stem Rust Epidemics in Ethiopia

Stem rust caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat. It has been a potential threat to the world food supply. It was the most threatening disease in many wheat-growing regions of the world. This is mainly because stem rust can reduce an evidently healthy stand to a broken stems and shrivelled grains within a few weeks. Although the widespread use of resistant and early maturing cultivars worldwide has reduced the disease to a less significant level, the disease continues to be a potential devastating factor to wheat production in eastern Africa. With the evolution of highly virulent race referred to as Ug99 or TTKSK, it regained its importance to treat global wheat production. There should therefore be a continuous effort to study its epidemiology and develop proper management options for a particular area. This book presents the temporal progression of stem rust as affected by various treatments, its effect on yield, yield components and quality parameters of common wheat. It is a valuable reference for researchers, development workers, graduate and undergraduate students... Mehr