Title |
Potential for re-emergence of wheat stem rust in the United Kingdom
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Published in |
Communications Biology, February 2018
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DOI | 10.1038/s42003-018-0013-y |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Clare M. Lewis, Antoine Persoons, Daniel P. Bebber, Rose N. Kigathi, Jens Maintz, Kim Findlay, Vanessa Bueno-Sancho, Pilar Corredor-Moreno, Sophie A. Harrington, Ngonidzashe Kangara, Anna Berlin, Richard García, Silvia E. Germán, Alena Hanzalová, David P. Hodson, Mogens S. Hovmøller, Julio Huerta-Espino, Muhammed Imtiaz, Javed Iqbal Mirza, Annemarie F. Justesen, Rients E. Niks, Ali Omrani, Mehran Patpour, Zacharias A. Pretorius, Ramin Roohparvar, Hanan Sela, Ravi P. Singh, Brian Steffenson, Botma Visser, Paul M. Fenwick, Jane Thomas, Brande B. H. Wulff, Diane G. O. Saunders |
Abstract |
Wheat stem rust, a devastating disease of wheat and barley caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, was largely eradicated in Western Europe during the mid-to-late twentieth century. However, isolated outbreaks have occurred in recent years. Here we investigate whether a lack of resistance in modern European varieties, increased presence of its alternate host barberry and changes in climatic conditions could be facilitating its resurgence. We report the first wheat stem rust occurrence in the United Kingdom in nearly 60 years, with only 20% of UK wheat varieties resistant to this strain. Climate changes over the past 25 years also suggest increasingly conducive conditions for infection. Furthermore, we document the first occurrence in decades of P. graminis on barberry in the UK . Our data illustrate that wheat stem rust does occur in the UK and, when climatic conditions are conducive, could severely harm wheat and barley production. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 31 | 25% |
United States | 12 | 10% |
France | 9 | 7% |
Australia | 6 | 5% |
Germany | 5 | 4% |
Canada | 4 | 3% |
Italy | 2 | 2% |
Pakistan | 2 | 2% |
Spain | 2 | 2% |
Other | 10 | 8% |
Unknown | 42 | 34% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 69 | 55% |
Scientists | 42 | 34% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 12 | 10% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 2 | 2% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 135 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 30 | 22% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 22 | 16% |
Student > Master | 15 | 11% |
Student > Bachelor | 14 | 10% |
Other | 8 | 6% |
Other | 25 | 19% |
Unknown | 21 | 16% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 73 | 54% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 12 | 9% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 4 | 3% |
Environmental Science | 3 | 2% |
Unspecified | 2 | 1% |
Other | 13 | 10% |
Unknown | 28 | 21% |