Addressing Wheat Yellow Rust in a Changing Climate

Infectious plant diseases impair ecosystems, disrupting global food production and risking human existence. Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici causes yellow rust disease, impacting wheat production. Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst)-caused yellow rust is one of the most devastating diseases of this crucial global cereal crop. Yellow rust severely impacts wheat production by tremendous yield loss threats to global food security. Yellow pustules on plant leaves evolve into big lesions that interfere with photosynthesis, resulting in stunted growth and decreased grain yield and quality. Yellow rust becomes harder to control because climate change modifies the pathogen's behavior and makes control methods previously used ineffective. Climate change conditions, such as increased temperatures and changed rainfall patterns, in addition to the escalation of extreme weather events, aid yellow rust spread and establishment, making predicting and controlling outbreaks challenging. This chapter discusses how the resistance of the host provides an effective and sustainable way of controlling wheat yellow rust under conditions of a changing climate.