Fighting Wheat Rust in Europe: How IPMorama Is Building Crop Resilience

May 21, 2025
IPMorama
Wheat Rust in Europe

Wheat is one of the oldest crops in the world. Its cultivation began approximately 10,000 years ago in the Middle East’s Euphrates Valley.

Nowadays, it is one of the pillars of global food security, and in Europe, it plays a pivotal role in agriculture. However, wheat production is increasingly under threat from rust diseases, fungal pathogens that can cause devastating yield losses. Spring and early summer are the risky seasons for all wheat cultivars as it is the time the diseases emerge.

The IPMorama project, in collaboration with RustWatch network, is leading the charge against these threats, employing innovative and integrated strategies to enhance wheat resilience.

Understanding Wheat Rust Diseases

Wheat rust diseases are caused by fungi from the Puccinia genus. These airborne spores can travel long distances, infecting plants under favorable conditions such as cool to moderate temperatures and high humidity or leaf wetness. The pathogens enter through stomata and establish themselves within plant tissues, where they produce new spores to continue the cycle.

There are three primary types of wheat rust, their appearance is closely linked to climatic conditions and the growing season:

Yellow Rust (Puccinia striiformis): Primarily affects leaf blades, forming linear yellow pustules which lead to a reduction in photosynthesis.​ It appears as elongated yellow stripes on leaves and emerges in early spring.

Stem Rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici): Targets stems, leaf sheaths, and occasionally spikes, leading to structural weakness.​ It displays as reddish-brown pustules on stems and leaves and it develops in late spring to early summer.

Leaf Rust (Puccinia triticina): Characterized by small, orange-brown pustules scattered on leaf surfaces. It occurs throughout the growing season.

The appearance of these diseases is closely linked to climatic conditions, the growing season and the farming climate region. The geographical spread of wheat rust diseases varies across Europe’s diverse agro-climatic zones. Yellow rust is prevalent in Northern and Central Europe; stem rust is historically rare but is re-emerging in Southern Europe, notably in regions like Sicily; finally, leaf rust is prevalent in warmer areas and often represents a persistent issue throughout the growing season.

How IPMorama Combats Wheat Rust

IPMorama is leading the charge in tackling the problems caused by wheat rust diseases in the partner countries – Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Slovenia. By employing a variety-centric Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach, the project is developing and deploying resistant wheat varieties. This is done in conjunction with real-time monitoring and stakeholder engagement by conducting training sessions and capacity-building activities (thematic webinars, podcasts) to educate farmers, agronomists, and policymakers on effective IPM practices.

Participate in the Wheat Rust Survey

Help monitor wheat rust across Europe!
Farmers, researchers, and all agricultural stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the Wheat Rust Survey. By using the Wheat Rust Survey App, you can contribute valuable data on rust disease distribution and severity throughout Europe. This information will enable the development of targeted solutions and early warning systems, leading to a proactive response to these threats. Together, we can build a more resilient and secure future for European wheat production.

How? Scan the QR code and follow instructions to contribute to the data collection!