Wheat scientists are on high alert to combat any threat of UG99 wheat fungus. This was stated by Dr Abdul Mujeeb Kazi an eminent international wheat scientist working with National Agricultural Research Centre (Narc). Kazi has also several years' experience in his credit while working in CIMMYT Mexico on wheat, says a statement issued by Parc on Tuesday. He is serving the national wheat, strengthening activities in Pakistan at Narc since past two years. Exploiting his expertise on distant genetic transfers adds strength to our conventional wheat improvement strategies. Dr Kazi has been entrusted with wheat improvement responsibilities by Parc and Minfal through lucrative project supports that have allowed him to develop an effective research infrastructure, assemble appropriate gene sources and train critical human resource for executing national wheat improvement efforts. The emphasis of his direction and team research efforts is on enriching national wheat varieties with unique plus conventional genetic diversity towards adding durability value to wheat yield sustainability on the farmers fields. Recognising the potential threat of the stem rust race UG99 in the near future within Pakistan and the possibility of its being transmitted to our neighbouring wheat growing areas, national efforts are being addressed in this follow-up article to various current press reports on the UG99 fungus. This follow-up elucidates extensive in-country linkages, professional leadership, demonstrating crucial international ties to combat the fungus spread within our wheat cultivation, highlighting the vision of Parc and Minfal to focus efforts on securing national wheat production constraints through pro-active facilitative measures. He has been instrumental in paving the way for Quaid-e-Azam University professionals to receive funding from the Pak/US umbrella for rust research focusing on basic research. On the applied end the security is an off-shoot of integrated ties amongst the elite Narc plant scientists, key provincial scientists, international scientific teams and for staying on the scientific forefront by incorporation of new efficient crop improvement technologies coupled with the famous biotechnological approaches that are all in volatile operation across the country. All the above in unison shall allow the protective gene and varietal deployment of varieties thus securing national wheat cultivation and hopefully safeguarding us from the fear of damage coming into our terrain. Minfal and Parc have invested another lucrative budgetary provision to accelerate the programme that Dr Kazi is leading where delineated four prong stem rust endeavour is being actively pursued in national breeding programmes within the groups in NWFP, Narc, Faisalabad, Bhawalpur and Sindh. All are unified in the major task to develop wheat varieties that are high yielding and protected from the rust race UG99 amongst other constraints. The latent phase of using wheat resources is further linked with CIMMYT and Icarda two renowned international centres based in Mexico and Syria. Adding strength to our national effort is the tie with the rust group in Australia and the leading groups in Canada plus USA. Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2008