Milling Journal - Q2 2008 - (Page 35) “We know that there are several pathways in which spores are regularly transported through the atmosphere from Africa and Asia into the U.S. Dr. Les Szabo USDA ARS Cereal Disease Lab what we want to know is if the spores are not only P. graminis, but also is it Ug99?” Szabo continued, “This assay would be used to monitor across the wheat-growing areas to monitor wheat rust spores coming into the United States. We know that there are several pathways in which spores are regularly transported through the atmosphere from Africa and Asia into the United States. “These long distant transports most commonly deposit particulate material (like spores) through rain. We have found that by looking at rain samples we can monitor the movement of rust spores across the North American continent,” he concludes. Efforts are underway in many wheat breeding programs to develop varieties with long-term resistant to the fungus. “I already sent some durum material to Kenya for testing,” says Dr. Elias Backman continued on p. 36 Soil & Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. “The new strains of stem rust are much more dangerous than those that, 50 years ago, destroyed as much as 20% of the American wheat crop,” states Borlaug in an Op-Ed for the New York Times, April 26, 2008. “Today’s lush, high-yielding wheat fields on vast irrigated tracts are ideal environments for the fungus to multiply, so the potential for crop loss is greater than ever,” he writes. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave $26.8 million to Cornell University for a new global project to fight wheat stem rust disease. The Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project, launched on April 2, 2008, will bring together 15 partner institutions to combat the emergence of deadly new variants of stem rust. Molecular Assays Dr. Les Szabo, Research Geneticist, USDA ARS Cereal Disease Lab in St. Paul, MN, is working on developing a series of different molecular assays for detecting Ug99. “The first is a general assay for the rapid identification of Ug99 race cluster,” he explains. “This assay will be designed for the use of regional and state plant diagnostic clinics to test infected wheat or barley for Ug99 race cluster. The second set of assays will be to identify specific members of this race cluster. At present, we know that there are three members of this cluster.” “The final, and the most sensitive, will be to develop an assay that is specific to Ug99 race cluster that we can use for environmental samples, such as rain,” Szabo said. “We have developed a general assay for wheat stem rust fungus (Puccinia graminis) that will detect one or two spores. However, this assay is general and Response No. 351 MILLING JOURNAL Second Quarter 2008 35 http://www.thermal-remediation.com http://www.thermal-remediation.com
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