The tracking technology that was used to halt the deadly Ebola and Zika viruses could now be turned against wheat rust as scientists try new ways to stop the fungus from devastating grain crops around the world.
Wheat rusts are nothing new — ancient Romans honored the rust god Robigus, hoping to protect their fields — but they are adapting to human efforts to kill them, and pose an ever-growing global risk.
Now new technology — a British company's pocket-size tracking device — brings the hope that early detection can limit the damage of any outbreak.