Wheat rusts are the key biological constraint to wheat production in Ethiopia—one of Africa’s largest wheat producing countries. The fungal diseases cause economic losses and threaten livelihoods of smallholder farmers. While it is known that wheat rust epidemics have occurred in Ethiopia, to date no systematic long-term analysis of past outbreaks has been available. We present results from one of the most comprehensive surveillance campaigns of wheat rusts in Africa. More than 13,000 fields have been surveyed during the last 13 years. Using a combination of spatial data-analysis and visualization, statistical tools, and empirical modelling, we identify trends in the distribution of wheat stem rust (Sr), stripe rust (Yr) and leaf rust (Lr). Results show very high infection levels (mean incidence for Yr: 44%; Sr: 34%; Lr: 18%). These recurrent rust outbreaks lead to substantial economic losses, which we estimate to be of the order of 10s of millions of US-D annually. On the widely adopted wheat variety, Digalu, there is a marked increase in disease prevalence following the incursion of new rust races into Ethiopia, which indicates a pronounced boom-and-bust cycle of major gene resistance. Using spatial analyses, we identify hotspots of disease risk for all three rusts, show a linear correlation between altitude and disease prevalence, and find a pronounced north-south trend in stem rust prevalence. Temporal analyses show a sigmoidal increase in disease levels during the wheat season and strong inter-annual variations. While a simple logistic curve performs satisfactorily in predicting stem rust in some years, it cannot account for the complex outbreak patterns in other years and fails to predict the occurrence of stripe and leaf rust. The empirical insights into wheat rust epidemiology in Ethiopia presented here provide a basis for improving future surveillance and to inform the development of mechanistic models to predict disease spread.

A multiplications evaluation was conducted with twenty-eight advanced bread wheat genotypes and two standard checks for two consecutive years 2017 and 2018 at Kulumsa, Asasa, Robe Arsi, Bekoji, Areka, Shambu, Holeta, Adet, Enawari, Awalgera, and Debra Zeit, Ethiopia. The objective of the paper was to describe the agronomic and quality related traits of newly developed bread wheat varieties “Boru” for optimum moisture areas of Ethiopia. Boru is a commercial name given for a newly released variety with the pedigree name SAUAL/MUTUS/6/CNO79//PF70354/MUS/3/PASTOR/4/BAV92*2/5/FH6-1-7/7/CNO79//PF. 70354/MUS/3/PASTOR/4/BAV92*2/5/FH6-1-7 which originated from CIMMYT germplasms. Boru is adapted within the range of altitude 2050 to 2780 masl with annual rainfall amount receiving from 620 to 1290 mm. Boru showed superior overall agronomic performances over the standard check Wane and Hidasse and it had a 9% and 14% yield advantage respectively. The new variety had a bold seed size than the two checks. Boru variety showed relative resistance to stem, yellow and leaf rust as compared to wheat varieties under production at the medium to high land wheat-growing agro-ecologies. Boru offers new hope for resource-poor farmers in rust-prone areas of Ethiopia.  It’s expected to replace the variety ‘Ogolcho’ in medium areas, and ‘Hidasse’ in high land areas of Ethiopia. In addition, the Boru variety is known for its higher protein content (14.37%) than standard check Wane (12.14%) and local check Hidasse (12.3%).

Wheat rust outbreak especially yellow rust is the major production constraint in Ethiopia. Arsi Zone is the hot spot zone for yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis (Pst)) particularly Meraro and Bekoji sites are frequently yellow rust epidemic was occur due favorable environmental and higher pressure of inoculums in the areas. Therefore, the objective the study was to identify sources of resistance against yellow rust at adult plant stage under hot spot sites. In this study, Three hundred seventy five elite breeding and advanced lines were planted at Meraro, Arsi-Robe and Bekoji. The results show that 34, 10 and 54% of the lines at Meraro were found resistant to moderately resistant, intermediate and moderately susceptible to susceptible. At Arsi-Robe 61, 23.5 and 15.5% of lines were showed that resistant to moderately resistant, intermediate and moderately susceptible to susceptible. Finally, at Bekoji 35.5, 21.3 and 43.2% lines at were resistant to moderately resistant, intermediate and moderately susceptible to susceptible category of yellow rust. Average coefficient of infection (ACI) less than 20% showed at Meraro (34%), Bekoji (35.5%) and Arsi-Robe (61%) was good percent of resistance to the current yellow rust pressure respectively, indicating higher disease pressure at Meraro and Bekoji than that of Arsi-Robe. Among the lines, 43.7% showed a good level of resistance (<30% severity) in all locations. Generally, most of the lines, which showed better resistance at Arsi-Robe, were susceptible at Meraro and Bekoji.

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