Phytoparasitica (2013) 41, 337-344

Zhibing Wan, Yiran Li, Yingnan Chen, Xinye Zhang, Hongwei Guan and Tongming Yin (2013)
Melampsora larici-populina, the main rust pathogen, causes loss in biomass production of black cottonwood plantations in the south of China
Phytoparasitica 41 (3), 337-344
Abstract: Epidemic outbreaks of rust disease have been observed in most of the black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) plantations in the south of China in recent years. However, the exact pathogens that cause rust disease in this area remain largely unknown. In this study we collected rust fungi from black cottonwood plantations at four different places in the south of China. Examination of these fungi by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) revealed that the morphological characteristics of urediniospores for all the collected fungi were very close to that of Melampsora larici-populina. Using species-specific primers, these pathogens were confirmed to be M. larici-populina. In a survey on the resistance to rust disease for 88 genotypes of black cottonwood, nine potential candidate genotypes were detected that may be free from infection of rust pathogen. The results of this study provide essential information for breeding new rust-resistant black cottonwood cultivars.
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Link to article at publishers website

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Melampsora larici-populina	Poplar/aspen (Populus)	China (south)