Expert mapping reveals Pakistan's wheat disease hotspots and risky seed networks
Sulá AIP, Sarwar MA, Ali S, Qureshi N, Maqbool R
Crop Improvement
If you've ever saved seed or traded cuttings with neighbors, this study is a reminder that the same informal sharing networks gardeners love can also be the fastest highway for a crop disease to travel across a country.
Scientists asked agricultural experts across Pakistan to map out where wheat crops are getting hit hardest by diseases like rust fungi and pests like aphids, and how bad the damage is. They found that farmers trading seed and grain informally, plus heavily farmed areas along the Indus River, create pathways that let these problems spread quickly, and they warn that climate change could make things worse by helping diseases travel into new regions.
Key Findings
Cumulative wheat yield losses from diseases and pests ranged from 4 to 16%, with the worst hotspots in central Punjab and northern Sindh
Stripe rust, leaf rust, and aphids were identified as the top three threats to Pakistani wheat
Highly connected cropland along the Indus River overlaps with disease hotspots, and informal seed/grain exchange networks create pathways for seedborne pathogen spread, including moderate risk of wheat blast introduction
chevron_right Technical Summary
A nationwide survey of experts in Pakistan found wheat diseases and pests cut yields by 4-16%, with stripe rust, leaf rust, and aphids as the biggest threats, and identified seed exchange networks and highly connected farming areas along the Indus River as key routes for disease spread.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Wheat Diseases and Pests in Pakistan: A Nationwide Assessment.
Wheat production in Pakistan faces persistent threats from diseases and pests. However, limited geographic information exists about local risks, economic impacts, and management practices. We used ...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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