Training workshop on cereal rust surveillance, race analysis and management of wheat rust diseases in Central Asia and Caucasus

A training workshop will bring together experts from international organizations and countries from Central Asia and Caucasus to discuss updates regarding surveillance and management of wheat rust diseases in the region.

The workshop forms part of the project “Strengthening regional collaboration and national capacities for management of wheat rust diseases and resistance breeding in Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC-Rust)”, which is supported by the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme on food and agriculture. It will take place in Izmir, Turkey on 9–17 May, and is organized jointly by FAO, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey. Within the scope of the workshop, the participants will have a chance to visit to the Regional Cereal Rust Research Centre (RCRRC) including its laboratories and field facilities serving the region.

The objectives of the training are to:

• introduce the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme Project on Wheat Rust (CAC Rust);
• explain the importance of regional collaboration for management of wheat rusts and the role of the Regional Cereal Rust Research Center;
• provide principles and techniques for wheat rust surveillance and management;
• present updates from beneficiary countries (Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey) on the status of wheat rust diseases and related work; and
• discuss policy options to effectively monitor, prevent and manage cereal pests and diseases.