Plant Disease (2021) 105 (9 - 2301)

Rinette Labuschagne, Eduard Venter, Willem H.P. Boshoff, Zacharias A. Pretorius, Tarekegn Terefe and Botma Visser (2021)
Historical development of the Puccinia triticina population in South Africa
Plant Disease 105 (9 - 2301)
Abstract: In contrast to many other countries, the virulence and genetic diversity of the South African Puccinia triticina population before 1980 is unknown, because of the absence of regular and systematic race analysis data and viable rust cultures. Herbarium specimens housed at the National Collection of Fungi, Biosystematics Unit, Plant Health and Protection, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa (SA), provided the opportunity to investigate the genetic development of the population using isolates collected between 1906 and 2010. Five subpopulations that survived between 21 and 82 years in the field were found. While three of these could represent the original races that entered SA during European settlement, two appear to be recent exotic introductions into SA, most probably from other African countries. The demise of the three oldest subpopulations might be from the release of resistant wheat cultivars. The population is clonal, where new virulence develops through single step mutations and selection for virulence. Although a possible case of somatic hybridization was found, sexual reproduction appears to be absent in SA. This study confirmed the importance of annual surveys in SA and its neighboring countries for the timely detection of new virulent races that could threaten wheat production in SA.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Willem H.P. Boshoff, Zacharias A. Pretorius, Botma Visser

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
population dynamics/ epidemiology
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Puccinia triticina		South Africa