By Chris Guy

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) broke ground on a state-of-the-art greenhouse that will play a key role in helping scientists combat a growing global disease threat to the world's wheat and barley supplies. The 2,880-square-foot greenhouse will be operated by scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

"Historically, stem rust has been the most destructive disease of wheat and barley, but in recent decades, scientists have been able to breed resistance to this disease into new varieties of wheat," said ARS Administrator Edward B. Knipling. 

For the full story, click here