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Ug99

The image depicts a wheat ear with the text "UG99" overlaid on a background featuring abstract shapes and lines, symbolizing the Ug99 lineage of the wheat stem rust fungus.

Ug99 is a highly virulent lineage of the wheat stem rust fungus that was first discovered in Uganda in 1999. Unlike earlier strains, it possesses the ability to overcome the genetic resistance bred into the vast majority of global wheat varieties. Its spread across Africa and into the Middle East threatens global food security, triggering an ongoing international effort to develop and distribute new resistant crop strains before an outbreak decimates harvests.

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