Occurrence of wheat blast in Bangladesh and its implications for South Asian wheat production

The first recorded occurrence in Asia of wheat blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, pathotype Triticum (synonym Pyricularia oryzae) occurred in Bangladesh in March 2016. Crop losses of up to 90% have been reported, with latesown wheat suffering particularly badly. The emergence of this disease has raised concern in neighboring countries where wheat represents a significant crop, most notably in India and Nepal. The existence of effective genetic...