Yellow rust in wheat crop causes alarm in Punjab and Haryana

News:Recently,the detection of yellow rust disease in the wheat crop in Punjab and Haryana has raised anxiety among farmers about drop in the crop’s yield.

Facts:

About Yellow Rust disease:

  • Yellow rust disease of wheat also known as stripe rust of wheat is a disease caused by the fungus Puccinia.
  • The disease manifests itself as powdery yellow stripes on leaves.These stripes hinder photosynthesis make the grains shrivel and stunt growth of the plant.
  • This disease was first detected in India during 2013-2014.It is capable of causing up to 70% decline in wheat yields
  • All the wheat growing states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, the tarai region of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and the low lying areas of Jammu and Kashmir are susceptible to the disease.