Climate change could reduce global wheat production by 13% by 2050

Climate change is favoring the spread of wheat blast, a disease caused by the fungus Pyricularia oryzae that poses a major threat to global wheat production. It is estimated that by 2050, the disease could expand and affect up to 13.5 million hectares, resulting in a 13% reduction in global wheat production. The projections are part of the study "Vulnerability of wheat production to wheat blast under climate change", published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Wheat blast is considered the most recent disease and the one with the greatest economic impact on wheat. Caused by the fungus Pyricularia oryzae pathotype Triticum, the disease affects the leaves and ears of the plant, and can affect up to 100% of the harvest. According to researcher José Maurício Fernandes, from Embrapa Trigo, the fungus develops in conditions of high temperature and humidity, common in tropical and subtropical regions, but has recently been observed even in cold and dry climates. In Brazil, outbreaks ...