The goal is to increase wheat productivity in the countries of the region by developing wheat cultivars
with durable resistance to the rapidly evolving wheat leaf and stem rusts. Activities: Monitoring the present status of leaf and stem rust pathotypes and their frequencies in each country and in the region;
Identifying effective genes conditioning resistance in the countries/region against the prevalent rust pathotypes; Testing the performance of commercially grown cultivars and advanced lines against the rust populations in the region; Generating systematic information on leaf and stem rusts in the region to facilitate effective breeding programs.