Wheat rust early warning and advisory systems in Ethiopia

One of the most advanced crop disease early warning and advisory systems in the world has been made operational in Ethiopia through a consortium of national and international partners. Wheat rusts are the major disease constraints for Ethiopian wheat farmers. Early detection, especially of new virulent races, and timely actionable advice are critical to safeguard crops. The operational early warning system for wheat rusts in Ethiopia comprises a framework that integrates near real-time field and mobile phone surveillance data, mobile nanopore sequencing diagnostics, meteorologically-driven spore dispersal, disease environmental suitability forecasting and a platform for timely communication to policy-makers, extension agents and small-holder farmers. The early warning and advisory system in Ethiopia is now reaching hundreds of thousands of smallholders with timely and actionable advice for rust control. This system provides a model for other regions and other crop diseases.