The Ug99 fungus, called ‘Stem Rust’, could wipe out more than 80% of the world’s wheat as it spreads from Africa, scientists fear. The race is on to breed resistant plants before it reaches the U.S and Europe. It’s called Ug99 because it was first discovered in Uganda in 1999.
Soon it’ll be poised to invade the crops of India, Pakistan and Russia. After reading the LA Times story, I have to admit, this is scary ‘end of the world’ stuff.
Here’s more on the topic:
- Wikipedia on Stem Rust
- Gov’t Agricultural Research Service on the problem
- Ug99 On Course and On Schedule
Related posts:
- End of the World Parties to Greet the Large Hadron Collider
- Swedish Woman Gets World’s Fastest Net Connection
- Using Hang-Up Calls To Send A Message
- Crop Circle’s "Mathematical Problem" Solved by Astrophysicist
- Cartography With A Twist
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
