MART-AZR Project Research Report 67: Economic Losses of wheat Crops Infested with Yellow Rust in Highland Balochistan: Survey Results

Abstract

A survey of yellow rust (YR) infestation in wheat crops was carried out in the districts of Loralai, Kalat and Khuzdar in highland Balochistan at the end of the 1989/90 growing season. The objectives of the survey were to determine the disease intensity in different representative districts and to obtain information about its associated economic losses. Ninety-nine percent of the farmers in the surveyed areas (comprising more than 123,000 ha) were found growing local wheat varieties which are susceptible to YR infestation under both irrigated and rainfed conditions. Field measurements indicated that grain losses were 88, 77, and 58 percent in Loralai, Khuzdar, and Kalat, respectively. Gross revenue losses for grain and straw were calculated using actual field quantification of disease damage as well as secondary data on ha cultivated to wheat. Estimated gross revenue losses for the three districts were Rs 200 million. Even though the highest proportion of infested crops occurred in Loralai, 74 percent of the total economic losses over the three districts occurred in Khuzdar and Kalat due to the larger area cultivated to wheat. These heavy losses affected farmers with small land holdings, low land productive potential and with crop-livestock production systems.