Public and private research is working hard to combat stem rust in wheat!

Recently, reports of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) have multiplied in France, raising fears of the re-emergence of wheat stem rust. The FSOV RouilleNoire_2.0 project, launched in September 2023 and led by INRAE, focuses on the biology and spread of stem rust, and aims to better understand and anticipate the risks of re-emergence of stem rust in France by combining epidemiosurveillance, variety resistance testing and analysis of environmental factors.

GEVES/CTPS is participating in this epidemiological monitoring effort to define the predominant races in France by sending stem rust samples from the VSCU network for soft wheat and durum wheat.

GEVES, in association with INRAE BIOGER, will also be responsible for developing a varietal resistance test to stem rust by inoculation under controlled conditions for registration in the French Catalogue of wheat varieties, in addition to field evaluations under natural contamination.