Fighting Wheat Stem Rust: Pathogenesis-Related Genes, From Conventional To Modern Approaches

Shazia Anwer Bukhari1, Shahzad Bashir1, Mahmood-ur-Rahman2 and Makhlouf Bekhit3

Abstract

Stem rust is a major threat to wheat worldwide. It causes damage to almost 85% wheat varieties and may reduce the annual yield up to 20%. It is caused by a pathogenic fungus Puccinia graminis. Many efforts are being carried out to eliminate this deadly disease but not successful due to less understood of disease mechanism at molecular level. Number of genes have been studied which are responsible for the disease but their interactions are not well known. In this review article, conventional and modern technologies to combat the stem rust pathogen are compared, and innovative approaches that make wheat resistant against evolving deadly strains of the pathogen are discussed.

Key words

Stem rust, Triticum aestivum, Ug99, Puccinia graminis, PR genes, molecular approches