Wheat Crops in India facing Threat from Ug99 Stem Rust

Ug99: It is a race of black stem rust and it is virulent to the majority of wheat crops.

Wheat crops in India is facing threat from a virulent strain of stem rust called UG99. The scientists asked the farmers to sow Ug99 resistant wheat varieties as a precautionary measure. The US-based Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI) works on a global campaign for combating Ug99. The scientists at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) recently developed several varieties of wheat crops that are immune to Ug99. It is important to note that Wheat and Rice are the two crops that majorly fulfill the food demand in India.

What is Ug99
Ug99 was first discovered in Uganda in 1999.The fungus is incredibly deadly and at present there is no complete cure for it.The strain was named after the country where it was identified (Uganda) and the year of its discovery (1999).