Wheat rusts in Morocco :Status and update on control strategies

Dr. RAMDANI AbdelhamidINRA Meknès Morocco

Rural; 44

Urban; 56 Total population in Morocco 34.4 millions(2008)

Source : CIA World Factbook

The economy of Morocco is based to a large extend on agricultural production that contribute with 16 to 20% of GDP (Gross domestic product).

Cereals (wheats and barley) are among the major crops cultivated. They are cultivated over more than 60% of the cropped land each year (around 6

millions hectares).

However

Yields of these crops remain low due to biotic and abiotic stresses. Crop losses caused by pests of cereals are estimated at 30% or more. Some of these key

pests include: Rusts (Leaf & stripe), Septoria and Hessian fly on wheat.

Cereal production in Morocco during 2008-09 and 2009-10 cropping seasonsSource: ONICL

32

1626

74

43

20

38

101

29

1419

62

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Breadwheat

Durumwheat

Barley Total

Pro

duct

ion

(x M

illio

n qu

inta

ls) 2009-10

2008-09Average 05-09

45.1

144

25.13.6

217.8

52

121

3.5 0.5

177

0

50

100

150

200

250

Durum wheat Bread wheat Barley Maize Total

kg/y

ear/c

apita

Rural Urban

Consumption of cereals in Morocco during 2000-01 (average 197.4)(World average : 152 kg/year/capita)

Source: Direction des statistiques

Barley plays a major role in the drier areas, where it not only supports livestock production, but is also a major food source for the rural populations.

19.33

4.532.93

11.59

38.38

1.363.94

1.18

9.03

15.51

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Bread wheat Durum wheat Barley Maize Total

Impo

rt (x

Milli

on q

uint

als)

2007-08 2006-07

Moroccan imports of Cereal during 2006-07 and 2007-08Source: ONICL

Importation par pays d'origine

Argentine; 14,60%

Canada; 11,60%

France; 19,90%Ukraine;

1,70%

USA; 30,10%

Autres; 22,10%

To address these problems of biotic stresses and to boost the food security strategy, the development and implementation of a broad based diseases management strategy is required.

This should be based on the increased use of resistant cultivars, and the enhancement of the durability of resistance through appropriate gene management systems, complemented by other control methods, such as selective use of fungicides and cultural practices

Status of wheat rust diseases in Morocco

0

20

40

60

80

100

SLD LR YR SR PM CB

Diseases

Pre

val

ence

(%

) Bread Wheat

Durum Wheat

2007-08

Prevalence of wheat diseases in Morocco during 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 cropping seasons

0

20

40

60

80

100

SLD LR YR

Diseases

Prev

alen

ce (%

)

Bread Wheat (80 fields)

Durum Wheat (44 fileds)

2008-09

0

20

40

60

80

100

SLD LR YR SR RR PM LS CB

Diseases

Prev

alen

ce (%

)

Bread Wheat (53 fields)

Durum Wheat (19 fileds)

2009-10

Prevalence of wheat diseases in Morocco during 2012-2013 growing seasonSLD: Septoria-like diseases, LR: Leaf rust, YR: Yellow rust, SR: Stem rust, RR: Root rot, PM: Powdery mildew, LS: Loose smut, CB: Common bunt; Ergot (Claviceps purpurea)

Prevalence of Bread wheat rust diseases in Morocco

during 2012-2013 cropping season

Bread Wheat (89 fields)

AreaTotal inspected fileds of Bread

wheat

Yellow rust severity (%)

0 Tr-5 10-20 30-40 50-60 >= 70

Abda 14 14

Doukkala 4 4

Gharb 9 4 1 3 1

M.Atlas 1 1

Pré-Rif 5 1 1 3

Saïs 26 2 4 3 2 5 10

Shaouia 2 1 1

Taza 9 1 3 1 4

Zaïr 14 3 4 2 5

Zemour 5   2       3

TOTAL 89 27 12 9 4 11 26

Range of Yellow rust severity on bread wheat in Morocco during 2012-2013 cropping season

AreaNumber of Bread wheat

filedsLeaf rust severity

Abda 2 20Gharb 1 20Saïs 1 30

1 20Taza 1 50  2 15

The highest leaf rust severity scored on bread wheatin Morocco during 2012-2013 cropping season

Prevalence of Durum wheat rust diseases in Morocco

during 2012-2013 cropping season

Durum Wheat (39 fields)

AreaTotal

inspected fileds

Leaf rust severity (%) 

Yellow rust severity (%)

0 Tr 5 10 15 20 30 50 80 0 Tr 5 10 15 30 40

Abda 9 2 5 1 1 9

Doukkala 4 3 1 4

Gharb 1 1 1

Pré-Rif 1 1 1

Saïs 5 2 1 1 1 4 1

Taza 6 1 2 1 2 5 1

Zaïr 11 1 5 2 2 1 3 4 1 1 1 1

Zemour2

1     1     

1         1 

TOTAL39 8 11 9 2 2 3 1 2 1

 27 7 1 1 1 1 1

Range of Leaf rust and Yellow rust severities on durum wheat in Morocco during 2012-2013 cropping season

Effectiveness of Yr genes

Effectiveness of Yr genes under Meknès conditions during four consecutive growing seasons

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Sev

erit

y (%

)

Mek05-06 Mek06-07 Mek07-08 Max 30% Mek08-09

* : Missing data for Morocco during 09 and for Jupateco, Yr24, Yr26 and Yr32 during 06, 07 and 08

The highly effective Yr genes were Yr 1, 5, 10, 15 and YrSp .

0

20

40

60

80

100

Yel

low

rus

t sev

erity

(%)

Mek06-07 Mek07-08 Max 30% Douy06-07 YR (%)

Douy 07-08 YR (%) Max 80% Annoceur06-07YR (%) Annoceur07-08YR (%)

Effectiveness of Yr genes under Meknès, Douyet and Annoceur conditions during 2006-07 and 2007-08 growing seasons

Effectiveness of Yr genes under Marchouch and Annoceur conditions during 2009-10 growing season

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Seve

rity

(%

)

Marchouch 2010 Annoceur 2010

The highly effective Yr genes were Yr 1, 5, 10, 15 and YrSp .

Effectiveness of Yr genes under Marchouch, Douyet and Meknès conditions during 2011-12 and 2012-13 growing seasons

The strongest Yr gene during 2012-13 season was Yr15

Les maladies cryptogamiques des blés

Yellow (Stripe) rust (Puccinia striiformis)

What would be the effect of diseases on yield and its components mainly TKWAfourar INRA experimental station

2009-2010

Photo RAMDANI (Douyet 2008-09)

Stem rust (Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici) : A real threat

Fully aware of the magnitude of threat of the rust diseases to national cereal production and in order to raise awareness of decision makers and all stakeholders and to formulate and implement national strategies to prevent such threat, INRA-Morocco with the financial and technical support of FAO organized three workshops : 

“Importance of rusts of wheat in Morocco and strategies for controlling and preventing their losses”

 “Wheat Rust Diseases Awareness and Contingency Planning”

 “Contingency Plan for Management of Wheat Rust Diseases in Morocco” 

These workshops were attended by representatives of key national research, extension and production institutions involved in cereals, and of FAO and ICARDA.

Contingency plan

Preventive Predictive Reactive

Idiotype breeding

Biotic constraints

Abiotic constraints

Pests Diseases

Genetic of resistance Epidemiology

Host x PathogenIntraspecific variability of

the pathogen

Agronomic traits

Quality traits

IPM

Management practices

Yield potential/stability

Tolerance to Drought, heat, cold.… ,

Figure : Interdisciplinary approach for an ideotype breeding

شكرا

Many thanks to :FAO