Objective:
Facilitate efforts of Pakistani scientific institutions to ensure fast replacement of existing susceptible commercial varieties in Pakistan that are vulnerable to new races of stem rust with new cereal rust-resistant varieties working with partners in this Wheat Project, NARS, national seed programs and farmers, and to develop agronomic practices to enhance the productivity and sustainability of wheat and wheat systems in Pakistan.

Approach:
The collaborative activities proposed under this project are in direct response to the spreading threat of new, virulent strains of wheat stem rust. They are also consistent with, and build upon, the Regional Food Security Symposium on Wheat Stem Rust held in Islamabad in August 2009, in which 75 scientists from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia, Iran, and the United States participated. Scientists from CIMMYT (Mexico) and ICARDA (Syria) international centers also joined in formulating a combined effort to combat UG99 and other virulent wheat diseases to ensure food security in this region through the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative. Cooperators will: • Strengthen Pakistan’s own wheat rust surveillance and facilitate maximum synergies between Pakistan and international rust surveillance efforts • Conduct pre-breeding to enhance the diversity and utility of rust resistant wheat breeding parents. • Accelerate breeding to develop and test rust-resistant, high-performance candidate wheat varieties. • Accelerate seed multiplication and enhance access to new cereal rust-resistant varieties. • Address agronomic management practices to enhance the productivity and sustainability of wheat and wheat systems in Pakistan.