Wheat Worries: Standing guard over future pandemics

Wheat blast is a fast-acting and deadly fungal disease that threatens food safety and security in tropical areas in South America and South Asia. Wheat blast can damage the grain in less than a week from the development of the first symptoms, leaving farmers no time to act.
The fungus thrives in warm and humid regions thereby posing a serious threat to wheat production. In 2016, it first entered Asia through Bangladesh and has impacted around 15,000 hectares of land in eight districts, reducing yield on average by as much as 51% in the affected fields.
Since then, Wheat Blast has drawn increasing attention, considering its potentiality of further spreading to neighbouring countries, namely, India, Pakistan, and China, which are all major wheat producers and where wheat is used as one of the major staple food crops for billions of inhabitants.
The period of that wheat holiday has come to an end in India. But even now the state agriculture department is not in favour of resuming wheat cultivation in these areas.
According to international scientists, the consequences of a wider outbreak in South Asia could be devastating to a region of 300 mn malnourished people, whose inhabitants consume 100 million tonnes of wheat each year. Crores of people can reach the brink of starvation due to this and in such a situation, efforts should be made to eliminate this pathogenic wheat blast before it is too late!
Down to Earth is Science and Environment fortnightly published by the Society for Environmental Communication, New Delhi. We publish news and analysis on issues that deal with sustainable development, which we scan through the eyes of science and environment.
#Wheatblast #fungus #westbengal

[@jayantijotder6678]

I wish People in cities are able to understand the problem faced by people living in villages...

[@Saurabhkumar-27]

*Hats off, Down To Earth 🌏*

[@DrJabs]

Kudos to the team DTE❤

[@syedmohdgulamasghar8809]

Livelihood effected. What practical measures are taken to uplift these affected people and wheat burst.

[@VOLCANO007]

For Last two or three years , farmers in our NADIA DISTRICT are requested to stop cultivation of wheat from the govt. Authority...
The ban stay for Last two years .This year a little bit of farming takes place...!

[@vikashmishra8906]

Thank you very much sir 🙏

[@AnjaliSaini-dt6ky]

Thanks sir

[@gajjalarohithreddy4360]

tq for information

[@unitedminds5633]

Alternative crop, agricultural loans, healthy and disease free seed distribution, for every farmer!

[@anniejeffi1852]

Great initiative DTE

[@combinedstudy6427]

Government don't have laboratory to reasearch this fungus and drugs to kill them. Is this reason for not allowing farmers to plant wheat inspite given 2 years.

[@sleepingduty2987]

Great documentary (video)?

[@baghsdevani937]

2nd green revolution or say, evergreen revolution is needed as soon as possible, maintaining sustainability of the environment and ensuring food security of rising population alongwith reducing farm distress.
Organic farming, Biotechnology and precision farming with AI tools can be helpful in this.
Government and NGO intervention (like you) is needed, for awareness as well as financial and technology support.

[@thedecadecalled90s64]

What about millet mission.

[@anniejeffi1852]

🎉🎉🎉

[@namesarecliche3850]

Not standing guard
Standing on biddness

[@hariomsingh0307]

One more pandemic ! Where are researchers ?