1. Control Strategies of Wheat Stripe Rust in
Ethiopia
IZMIR, TURKEY
APRIL 28-MAY 01, 2014
By;
Zerihun T.
Coordinator, National Wheat Research
2ND
INTERNATIONAL WHEAT STRIPE RUST
SYMPOSIUM

2.  Wheat in Ethiopia:
 Major staple & strategic food security crop
 BW (introduction) & DW (indigenous) are dominant species
 Largest producer in SSA
 Area: close to 2 million hectares
 Production – 4.5 million MT (2013/14 forecast CSA)
 HHs - 5 million small scale farmers
 National average yield 2.4 t/ha from a 0.8 t/ha in 1980s (CSA, 2014)
Background

3. Wheat Production Trend in Ethiopia
(1960 – 2013)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
Production(,000MT)
Production Year
Source: USDA (http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=et&commodity=wheat&graph=production)
Turning point due to;
Rust epidemics and/or environmental fluctuation

4. Released wheat varieties in Ethiopia
(1950 - 2012)
How many of the varieties are under production???

5. Factors affecting wheat productivity in Ethiopia
 Biotic stress
 Wheat rusts (Yellow, stem
and leaf) and septoria
 Weeds (grass)
Abiotc stress
 Water logging
 Low soil fertility
 Drought-low moisture
in lowlands
Technical constraints
 Shortage of appropriate
varieties for d/f AEZs
 Socio-economic factors
 Inputs
Yellow Stem Leaf

6. Year
Epidemic
Variety
Year of
release
Epidemic
Estimated
loss (%)
1974 Laketch Stem rust
1988 Dashen 1984 Yellow rust 58
1994 Enkoy 1974 Stem rust 67-100
2010
Kubsa
Galama
1995 Yellow rust Up to 100
2013 Digelu 2005 Stem rust Up to 100
Major Rust Epidemics and Estimated Yield Losses in
Ethiopia
Dead Wheat
2010 YR Epidemic, Meraro,
Dead Wheat
2013 SR Epidemic, Bale
What will be next???

7.  Continuous release of cultivars with similar parentages
 Absence of resistance in cultivars preferred by farmers and the
rapid break down of resistance gene in the existing cultivars
 Wheat monoculture
 Extensive use of one or two wheat varieties
 Year round wheat production-green bridging
 Spores from neighboring countries
 Limited use of chemicals
The recurrent outbreak of wheat rusts could be

8. Fast resistant variety deployment
Awareness creation
Strong survey and surveillance activities (Early waning)
Strong collaboration with CGAIR centers & other national
program
Fungicide intervention
Fast seed multiplication strategy
Strategies implemented to control Stripe Rust in
Ethiopia

9. Wheat Breeding Approaches
Evaluation & selection of segregating lines inEvaluation & selection of segregating lines in
East Africa region levelEast Africa region level
Major breeding objectives:
 High and stable grain yield
 Resistance to biotic & abiotic stresses
 Quality (Bread, Pasta & Macaroni)

10. 2005 - 2013 International Nurseries
Screened in Ethiopia
Year
Entries
Tested
Entries
Selected
% Selected
2005 5,017 1,049 20.91
2006 9,559 1,102 11.53
2007 15,993 1,200 7.50
2008 17,385 1,565 9.00
2009 12,379 1,362 11.00
2010 16,432 822 5.00
2011 12,237 734 6.00
2012 13,738 655 4.77
2013 14,119 700 4.96
Total 116,859 9,189 7.86
Collaborators and germplasm source - CIMMYT, ICARDA, USDA, Egypt, India,
Germany, Sudan, Yemen, Turkey,
Pakistan, Syria, Russia

11. Rapid and extended replacement of old and
disease susceptible varieties
Wheat seed multiplication strategies;
 Pre and Post -release seed increase
 Two crop cycles per year
Planting with low seed rate
Dissemination Method:
 Fast multiplication of seeds of new varieties
 Demonstration & pre-scaling up
 Informal seed multiplication & dissemination
 Training of farmers, DAs, and SMS
 Farmers’ field days for popularization

12. 2010 Vs 2013 YR Situation
2010 2013
Environment Favorable Favorable
Time & place of occurrence Early August, Asasa Early August, Asasa
Awareness Low High
Varieties Mostly susceptible Mostly resistant
Chemical availability Unavailable Available
Losses High loss No loss
Productivity Decrease Increase

13. Future Direction
 Breeding for durable resistance
 Develop variety deployment strategy (AEZ based)
 Avoid wider use of mega variety
 Strengthen national crossing program
 Continue strong screening of introductions
 Release verities with known genes
 Support rapid seed multiplication & distribution
 Periodic monitoring of races and virulence
 Enhance research capacity (Facilities & Man power)

14.  National science, technology and
innovation outstanding recognition
certificate in 2012 for the problem
solving research achievement on
rust resistant wheat varieties
Major Achievements
 "Gene Stewardship Award" in 2014 BGRI workshop in Obregon, for the
effort and success to combat rusts by Ethiopia wheat research team

15. Projects
 EAAPP
 DRRW
 USAID/ICAR
DA
 SARD-SCSARD-SC
 CD-SeedCD-Seed
Partners
 CIMMYT
 ICARDA
Acknowledgement