05/26/08 Wheat rusts a focus of ARS research

Farm and Ranch May 26, 2008 Wheat rusts are a priority area of research for the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. Kay Simmons, who used to be with the ARS at Pullman, Washington, is now the agency's National Program Leader for Plant Genetics and Grain Crops at Beltsville, Maryland. Farmbroadcasters recently visited Beltsville and Simmons talked about the rust research in an interview. Simmons: "We are working on stripe rust protection. Developing new DNA methods to quickly and rapidly breed for resistance to stripe rust. Very pleased to have the new USDA-ARS Small Grains Geno-typing Lab on the campus of Washington State University. And that is a way that we are effectively deploying any new gene or marker for stripe rust resistance, we are deploying that into as many varieties, clubs wheats, the soft whites, as many varieties as we can for Washington, Oregon and Idaho." Simmons says that for rust there is seedling resistance and most importantly, adult durable resistance. Simmons: "The adult resistance is a little harder but we have expanded our research to try and develop new DNA markers and diagnostic tests. And that work is done not only for the Pacific Northwest but the stripe rust research is done by USDA for the entire nation from Pullman, Washington." Although it is not expected to be a problem in the Pacific Northwest, Simmons says an important focus of ARS is that virulent stem rust Ug99. It is not yet in the United States. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.