BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences signed an agreement on Tuesday to cooperate on research with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (IMWIC) to fight against a new subspecies of wheat stem rust.

    The three million U.S. dollars project involves testing several thousand wheat samples provided by both sides. They will be screened for anti-disease strains from Africa where the new subspecies of the major cereal disease originated.

    It is believed the new wheat stem rust subspecies, which is dubbed "Ug99" and has already spread to the Middle East, would most likely encroach into major Asian wheat production areas.

    Shi Yanquan, deputy head of the science and education department at the Agriculture Ministry, said at the signing ceremony that it would take three years to complete the project.

    He added China had cooperated with the IMWIC for more than three decades.

    Wheat stem rust occurs worldwide wherever wheat is grown. The disease often causes severe loss of crops, usually between 50 to 70 percent, over a large area. In many cases, individual fields can be totally destroyed. Damage is greatest when the disease becomes severe before the grain is completely formed.