Monitoring Wheat Rusts in Central West Asia and North Africa.

Cereal rusts constitute major biotic stress limiting wheat production in Central West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region. Cereal rust monitoring has been conducted by ICARDA and CWANA national programs since the 1980’s through core and special project funded networks including: 1) Nile Valley and Red Sea Region Cereal Rust network that included Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen; established in mid-1980’s.; 2) West Asia and North Africa Cereal Rust and Disease Network, established in mid-1990’s and included the countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. 3) Central and West Asia Yellow Rust Network; established in 2001. Biological trap nurseries that include selected rust differentials, major cultivated wheat cultivars, and elite breeding lines were used in monitoring rust. The content of the nurseries is upgraded and revised every 3-4 years. Biological trap nurseries allowed observation of changes of infection types on differentials and commercial cultivars and assessment of relative effectiveness of rust resistance genes within each country. Information from over 25 countries is generated annually. Information on yellow and stem rust populations’ shifts and relative effectiveness of rust yellow and stem rust resistance genes will be discussed