Subject: Re: U.S. wheat rejected due to smut fungus

From: [email-masked] (Paul Zambino)
Date: 3 Jul 1996 16:00:16 -0700

>This has been going on for years.  Check the publications of D. Mills-
>with his student B.W. Russell and others.

On our end it is difficult to judge whether the rejection of US wheat is
really on the increase, and if so, whether this is due to top-down
decisions to make it difficult for US agricultural trade to China, or to
independantly increased vigilance or persistance by a subsidiary agency.
As you mentioned, this has been going on a long time, but since trade with
China is currently in the news, these latest rejections may have been given
more press.

>The key point is that the taxonomic features which "distinguish" the
>species of Tilletia are variable and despite the chinese claim
>that they do not have TCK, the fact remains that tct and tck can
>hybridize easily.

I guess the  question of whether this is one beast or two is an important
mycological and taxonomic consideration, however, the important
phytopathological consideration is whether the US vs. Chinese "strains"
have differences in pathogenicity to Chinese wheat cultivars, or
differences in adaptation to the Chinese growing environment.  I am unaware
of such studies.  Using foreign strains for controlled inoculations may be
difficult in either China or the US, though I imagine that controlled
comparisons of US vs. Chinese strains on wheat cultivars could be done at a
containment facility like Fort Dietrick.  At any rate, I don't doubt that
without such studies, the Chinese government will not be convinced that the
US strains are no more hazardous than the home-grown Chinese variety,
regardless of other considerations of politics and balance of trade.

>Importantly, ask the question, what happened to that wheat-
>I expect that it was imported into china as " surplus" or
>damaged goods- at a substantially reduced price.

Even if the reduced price was ostensibly to offset the cost of
"decontamination",the Chinese government will profit in the short term, and
the facility that does the inspection and decontamination will have
demonstrated their effectiveness.   However, due to ever-increasing demand
for inexpensive imported wheat as Chinese standards of living have
increased, some sort of agreement will eventually need to be made that will
allow problems to the two trading partners to be minimized.  This will only
occur when both parties consider it to be in their best interest.

>
>As ever, the opinions expressed here are mine and do not reflect
>the official position of the FGSC or the Univerisity of Kansas
>or the NSF or the USDA or the FBI or the CIA or the KGB
>or NATO or NASA or anyone else with an official acronym.

And my opinions are my own.  Paul Zambino

>Kevin McCluskey

Paul Zambino, Ph.D.
USDA Forest Service
Forestry Sciences Lab
5985 Highway K
Rhinelander, WI 54501
PH:(715)362-1178
FAX: (715)362-1166
EMAIL: [email-masked]
DG:p.zambino:R09F06A