Wheat Blast

26-08-2023

11:58 AM

1 min read

Prelims: Agriculture

Overview:

Recently, scientists have warned that the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, which is destroying South American wheat crops, could spread worldwide.

About Wheat Blast:

What it is? It is a fungal disease in tropical and subtropical wheat production regions caused by Magnaporthe oryzae.
The fungus infects wild and cultivated grasses, most notably rice and wheat.
It spreads through infected seeds, and crop residues as well as by spores that can travel long distances in the air.
The crop fungi are known to mutate and adapt to new conditions
History of the outbreak of this disease
- Researchers first detected this pathogen in Brazilian wheat crops in the 1980s.
- Asia’s first outbreak of this pathogenic wheat blast was reported in Bangladesh in 2016.
- Two years later, an outbreak of this fungus was detected in wheat crops in Zambia, which was the first time the pathogen was detected in Africa.

Key Facts about Wheat

It is the second most important cereal crop in India after rice.
It is a Rabi crop which requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
Temperature: It requires 10-15°C (at the time of Sowing) and 21-26°C during Ripening & Harvesting.
Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.
Soil required: Well-drained fertile loamy and clayey loamy.

Q1) What is Rabi crop?

Rabi crop is a type of agricultural crop that is sown in the winter season in India, usually between October and December, and harvested in the spring, typically between March and June.

Source: Wheat blast: A fungus that spread to three continents can threaten food security globally