UN alert: One-fourth of world's wheat at risk from new fungus

[Pred]

I'm starting to lose count. I'm also having a hard time trying to figure out what to cheer for these days....

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned in March that Iran had detected a new highly pathogenic strain of wheat stem rust called Ug99.

The fungal disease could spread to other wheat producing states in the Near East and western Asia that provide one-quarter of the world’s wheat.

The FAO warned stated east of Iran — Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan to be on high alert.

Scientists and international organizations focused on controlling wheat stem rust have said 90 percent of world wheat lines are susceptible to Ug99. The situation is particularly critical in light of the existing worldwide wheat shortage.

The fungus causes dark orange pustules on stems and leaves of infected plants. The pustules can completely girdle stems, damaging their conducting tissue and preventing grain fill. Yield losses may reach 70 percent, while some fields are totally destroyed. If stem rust arrives early in the growing cycle, losses are higher. Spores released by the fungal pustules are spread by the wind and may travel great distances in storms.

Word of the new wheat disease comes amid global shortages of rice and wheat resulting from typhoon-related flooding in Java, Bangladesh, and India and from agricultural pests and diseases in Vietnam. Last year Australia suffered its second consecutive year of severe drought and a near complete crop failure, heavy rains reduced production in Europe, Argentina suffered heavy frost, and Canada and the U.S. both produced low yields.

Food riots have broken out in Egypt, Haiti and several African states, including Mauritania, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Senegal in recent months.

World Tribune — UN alert: One-fourth of world's wheat at risk from new fungus

[Windwalker]

Sounds like there are going to be a lot of hungry people in the world.

[ArkansasHunter]

Another sign of the times.

[SwedeSteve]

Just add it to the list!

[ArkansasHunter]

Yep !

[Midas]

Natural disasters, wars, next thing ya know, our crops will start getting wiped out! oh wait, that's happening too not a fun time to live on Earth.

[Pred]

Originally Posted by Midas

not a fun time to live on Earth.

How so? Pain, suffering, death... It's like heaven on my TV....

[tlarkin]

Just wait till this parasite evolves....we will be uber screwed then

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/331826/ant_fungus/

[nathangdad]

as we must come to the realization the world has raced ahead in population to the point disasters in one area or another cannot be
"absorbed" by the world's surplus food production.

You may have also seen the rice story - the new strain of hybrid rice that will produce 3,000 pounds in a field that produced 2,000 pounds of non-hybrid rice has a big problem in that it is just about non-resistant to
major rice diseases.

It seems more obvious every day the world will move toward some type
involuntary depopulation from disease, war, and/or famine.
I have read one person's view which is both frightening and
possibly true that an immediate 3 billion person reduction is necessary
for world peace and economic stability. Now - to other posters please
note I am just presenting that person's view and I am not saying either I or anyone else is empowered to do this act.