By: D.K Choudhary
UN Agency Calls for International Collaboration on Wheat Rust to Curb Threat to Global Supplies
i. According to a new study conducted by scientists in collaboration with the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), two new groups of wheat rust have been identified that posed threat to wheat produced in Africa, Asia and Europe in 2016.
ii. As per the data, the two new groups have been identified as yellow rust and stem rust. The finding calls for the need for early detection and rapid action to keep the fungus under control.
iii. The study was published in the Journal Nature. It said that wheat rusts spread rapidly over long distances by wind.
iv. If they are not detected and treated on time, they can turn healthy crops into a tangle of yellow leaves, black stems and shriveled grains.
v. The United Nation urged that specialists from international institutions and wheat producing countries must come together to stop these diseases from spreading further.
vi. The work needed to be put in place includes continuous surveillance, sharing data and building emergency response plans to protect the farmers and neighbouring countries.FAO
About Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is an agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
♦ Headquarters: Rome, Italy
♦ Head: José Graziano da Silva
♦ Founded: 16 October 1945
Indian Coast Guard to have Joint Exercise with UAE Coast Guard
i. In an effort to strengthen the bilateral relations between India and UAE, the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Samudra Pavak made a goodwill visit at the Mina Al Rashid (Dubai Port) from February 4 to 7, 2017.
ii. The Indian Ambassador in UAE Navdeep Suri visited the Indian Navy ship on February 5, 2017. During the stay at port Rashid, a series of activities is scheduled to take place between Indian and UAE coast guard.
iii. As a part of the visit, a joint exercise is scheduled to take place between Indian coast guard and UAE coast guard to enhance co-operation and exchange of operational expertise.
iv. Besides, training and sporting events between the coast guards of both the countries will also take place.
v .Samudra Pavak or “Purifier of the Seas” is the third ship of the Pollution Control Vessel series of the Indian Coast Guard that was indigenously designed and commissioned in January 2016.
vi. The ship is equipped with state of the art technology including integrated platform managements system to monitor and control machinery parameters dynamic positioning system for precise maneuvering and positioning and power management systems for automatic control of generators.
