Launch of the Wheat Rust Early Warning Campaign Across Europe in 2025
As the threat of wheat rust diseases – yellow rust, leaf rust and stem rust – continues to challenge agricultural productivity, a comprehensive early warning campaign is set to take place from April to June 2025. This initiative will leverage innovative technology and collaborative efforts between the RustWatch network and the Horizon Europe project, IPMorama. Participants from across Europe are invited to engage in this vital program using the Wheat Rust Survey crowdsource app, which is designed to monitor and report the prevalence of yellow rust, leaf rust, and stem rust in wheat and related crops.
Campaign Objectives and Participation
The primary objective of the campaign is to assess the status of various wheat cultivars—including common wheat, durum wheat, and triticale—across diverse farming regions. Stakeholders from IPMorama partner countries such as Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Slovenia will participate, but other stakeholder groups are encouraged to participate as well. Understanding the distribution and impact of these rust diseases will involve gathering essential data, including location names, cultivar names, growth stages, field types, disease scores, and photographic evidence of affected plants.
“Uploading reports of ‘no disease’ is crucial, as we aim to capture a complete picture of wheat rust dynamics,” said Valérie Cadot from Geves. Researchers and stakeholders can access the results via a public Wheat Rust Dashboard, which will provide insights into the ongoing evaluation of wheat varietal resilience and disease prevalence.
VCU Network's Critical role
The Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU) network plays a vital role in this initiative. As part of Work Package 2 of the HEU IPMorama project, VCU aims to enhance monitoring efficiency and disease resistance assessments within cereal cultivation. Approximately 100 trial sites across Europe will contribute to this effort, generating valuable data to improve the understanding of rust diseases.
VCU’s specific actions include frequent assessments of rust presence at trial locations and the collection of samples for detailed genotype and race analysis. “This will help us detect new virulence combinations and improve the interpretation of rust resistance for commercially registered cultivars,” noted Jens Grønbech Hansen from Aarhus University.
Anticipated Outcomes and Future Campaigns
Results from the early warning campaign will be published from April to June, contributing to timely alerts posted on the GRRC and IPMorama websites. The data collected will also assist in developing a Vulnerability Mapping Tool, predicting the potential impacts of emerging rust races on wheat production in Europe. The success of this campaign will determine whether additional initiatives will be conducted later in the season, guided by stakeholder feedback and epidemiological data.
“By fostering collaboration and utilizing modern tools, we strive to enhance the resilience of our wheat crops and safeguard food security in Europe,” emphasized Valérie Cadot. As the campaign approaches, all participants look forward to meaningful contributions that improve understanding and mitigation of the impacts of wheat rust.
For more information on participation and results, stakeholders can visit the Wheat Rust Survey App and Dashboard linked below:
Wheat Rust Survey App
Wheat Rust Dashboard
With an engaged community and advanced methodologies, the 2025 Wheat Rust Early Warning Campaign positions itself as a pivotal initiative in the fight against crop disease. The app and dashboard were developed by Aarhus University, Denmark, as part of RustWatch and IPMorama. The management of differential hosts used as sentinels to alert on new virulences or races of rusts in the EU VCU network is coordinated by Valérie Cadot, Geves, France.