UG 99 Wheat Stem Rust

 A virulent strain of wheat stem rust, Ug99, that some experts suggest started in Uganda, thus the name Ug, but others believe sprung up in Kenya in 1999 has now spread into Iran and threatens to make its way into other wheat producing regions of Asia. Experts say it is poised to enter the breadbasket of northern India and Pakistan, and the wind will inevitably carry it to Russia, China and even North America, if it doesn't hitch a ride with people first. Apocolyptically, the entire world’s supply of wheat is at risk..??That warning was issued by Dr. Jim Peterson, wheat breeder at Oregon State University and chair of the National Wheat Improvement Committee

Though most Americans have never heard of it, Ug99 -- a type of fungus called stem rust because it produces reddish-brown flakes on plant stalks -- is the No. 1 threat to the world's most widely grown crop. This stem rust blocks the vascular tissues in cereal grains including wheat, oats and barley. Unlike leaf or stripe rusts that may reduce crop yields, Ug99-infected plants may suffer up to 100 percent loss.?Executive Director of the Idaho Wheat Commission, Blaine Jacobson: “Norman Borlaug made his name known in fighting off a stem rust in the ‘50’s, he said this is the real deal.”?