IDAHO WHEAT COMMISSION

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Cereal rust isolates differ in ability to overcome genetic resistance

The ability of a cereal rust organism to overcome genetic resistance can lead to widespread epidemics.  Research funded by the Australian Grains Research and Development Corporation has shown that rust strains, or races, differ in their ability to overcome individual, known resistance genes.  Knowledge of rust race populations and relative vulnerability of resistance genes can lead to better long-term strategies for deploying resistance genes and reducing yield losses to disease.