Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Yellow rust, Pusa Yashasvi
Mains level: Not Much
Yellow Rust was detected in wheat crops in parts of Punjab and Haryana.
Yellow Rust
- Yellow Rust disease appears as yellow stripes of powder or dust on leaves and leaf sheaths of the wheat crop. This yellow powder comes out on clothing or fingers when touched.
- This occurs when the rust colonies in the leaves drain the carbohydrates from the plant and reduce the green leaf area.
- In India, it is a major disease in the Northern Hill Zone and the North-Western Plain Zone and spreads easily during the onset of cool weather and when wind conditions are favourable.
- Rain, dew and fog favour the disease’s development.
Impact of the disease
- The disease can spread rapidly under congenial conditions and affects crop development, and eventually the yield.
- Yield due to the disease can affected by between 5 and 30 per cent.
- According to the IIWBR advisory, if farmers observe yellow rust in patches in their wheat fields, they should spray fungicides.
Other facts: Pusa Yashasvi
- Last year, a new variety of wheat called HD-3226 or Pusa Yashasvi was released by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
- It had higher levels of resistance against major rust fungi such as the yellow/stripe, brown/leaf and black/stem.
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