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Wheat Blast
Wheat Blast
April 19, 2023
Recently, scientists have warned that the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, which is destroying South American wheat crops, could spread worldwide.
About
Wheat Blast:
What it is?
It is a
fungal disease
in
tropical and subtropical wheat production regions
caused by
Magnaporthe oryzae.
The fungus infects wild and cultivated grasses, most notably rice and wheat.
It spreads
through infected seeds
, and
crop residues
as well as by spores that can travel long distances in the air.
The crop fungi are known
to mutate
and adapt to new conditions
History of the outbreak of this disease
Researchers first detected this pathogen in
Brazilian wheat crops
in the 1980s.
Asia’s first outbreak of this pathogenic wheat blast was reported in
Bangladesh in 2016.
Two years later, an outbreak of this fungus was detected in wheat crops in
Zambia
, which was the first time the pathogen was detected in
Africa
.
Key Facts about Wheat
It is the second most important
cereal crop
in India after rice.
It is a
Rabi crop
which requires a
cool growing season
and
bright sunshine
at the time of ripening.
Temperature:
It requires 10-15°C (at the time of Sowing) and 21-26°C during Ripening & Harvesting.
Rainfall:
Around 75-100 cm.
Soil required:
Well-drained
fertile loamy and clayey loamy
.
Source :
Wheat blast: A fungus that spread to three continents can threaten food security globally
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