Challenges and solutions for stripe rust control in the United States

2007 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 648 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. M. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adult Plant ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Breeding Lines ◽  
South Central ◽  
Eastern Usa ◽  
New Races

Stripe rust of wheat, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, has been one of the most destructive diseases on wheat in the western USA since the late 1950s and has become increasingly important in the central and south-eastern USA since 2000. Stripe rust of barley, caused by P. striiformis f. sp. hordei, a relatively new disease, has established and caused severe damage in the south-central and western states since the pathogen was first reported in Texas in 1991. Stripe rusts of wheat and barley have been monitored by trap nurseries and by field surveys. Collections of stripe rust from wheat, barley, triticale, and grasses have been tested on a set of 20 wheat differential genotypes for identifying races of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici and a set of 12 barley differential genotypes for identifying races of P. striiformis f. sp. hordei. In total, 62 new races of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici and 22 new races of P. striiformis f. sp. hordei have been identified since 2000. Germplasm and breeding lines of wheat and barley have been tested every year under natural infection in the field and with selected races in the greenhouse. Combinations of durable high-temperature, adult-plant resistance with effective all-stage resistance should provide more effective stripe rust control and reduce the use of fungicides.

scholarly journals Wheat Stripe Rust Epidemics and Races of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in the United States in 2000

Plant Disease ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianming Chen ◽  
Mary Moore ◽  
Eugene A. Milus ◽  
David L. Long ◽  
Roland F. Line ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Durable Resistance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stripe Rust Resistance ◽  
The South ◽  
Wheat Stripe Rust ◽  
South Central ◽  
New Races

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is most destructive in the western United States and has become increasingly important in the south-central states. The disease has been monitored by collaborators through field surveys and in disease nurseries throughout the United States. In the year 2000, stripe rust occurred in more than 20 states throughout the country, which was the most widespread occurrence in recorded history. Although fungicide applications in many states reduced yield losses, the disease caused multimillion dollar losses in the United States, especially in Arkansas and California. One of the prevalent cultivars, RSI 5, had a yield loss of about 50% in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region of California. In the Pacific Northwest, wheat losses due to stripe rust were minimal because cultivars with durable resistance were widely grown and the weather in May 2000 was not favorable for the disease. To identify races of the pathogen, stripe rust collections from 20 states across the United States were analyzed on 20 wheat differential cultivars, including Clement (Yr9, YrCle), Compair (Yr8, Yr19), and the Yr8 and Yr9 near-isogenic lines. In 2000, 21 previously identified races and 21 new races were identified. Of the 21 new races, 8 were pathotypes with combinations of virulences previously known to exist in the United States, and 13 had virulences to one or more of the lines Yr8, Yr9, Clement, or Compair. This is the first report of virulence to Yr8 and Yr9 in the United States. Most of the new races were also virulent on Express. Races that are virulent on Express have been identified in California since 1998. The races virulent on Yr8, Yr9, and Express were widely distributed in California and states east of the Rocky Mountains in 2000. The epidemic in 2000 demonstrates that increased efforts to breed for stripe rust resistance are needed in California, the south-central states, and some other states in the Great Plains. Diversification of resistance genes and use of durable resistance should prevent large-scale and severe epidemics.

scholarly journals Races of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in the United States in 2011 and 2012 and Comparison with Races in 2010

Plant Disease ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 966-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anmin Wan ◽  
Xianming Chen ◽  
Jonathan Yuen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Durable Resistance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Adult Plant ◽  
Low Frequencies

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most important diseases on wheat in the United States. In 2011, severe wheat stripe rust caused extensive application of fungicides in the western United States, and the disease was more widespread and caused more yield loss in the eastern United States in 2012. In this study, we characterized virulences and identified races of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici by testing the stripe rust samples collected throughout the United States in 2011 and 2012 on a set of 18 Yr single-gene differentials. In 2011, 35 races were identified from 349 viable samples collected from 19 states of the United States and Ontario province of Canada, with PSTv-11 (35.5%), PSTv-37 (12.6%), PSTv-14 (11.8%), PSTv-4 (5.4%), and PSTv-34 (3.4%) as the top five predominant races. In 2012, 23 races were identified from 341 viable samples collected from 24 states of the United States and Ontario of Canada, with PSTv-37 (47.5%), PSTv-11 (11.7%), PSTv-14 (10.0%), PSTv-52 (9.4%), and PSTv-48 (4.4%) as the top five predominant races. Nationally, PSTv-37, PSTv-52, and PSTv-34 were most widely distributed, while PSTv-11, PSTv-14, PSTv-4, and PSTv-48 were mostly detected in the western United States. High frequencies (>80%) were detected for virulences to Yr6, Yr7, Yr8, Yr9, Yr17, Yr27, Yr44, and YrExp2; moderate frequencies (20 to 80%) for virulences to Yr1, Yr43, YrTr1, and YrTye; low frequencies (<10%) for virulences to Yr10, Yr24, Yr32, and YrSP; and virulences to Yr5 and Yr15 were not detected, indicating that these two genes are still effective against the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici population in the United States. Both positive and negative associations were identified between some of the virulences. In total, 55 races identified from 2010 to 2012 in the United States were clustered into two major virulence groups, and dynamics of predominant races and virulence frequencies for the 3 years were presented and discussed. This information is useful for making decisions when screening wheat germplasm for developing stripe-rust-resistant wheat cultivars and managing the disease by growing cultivars with adequate and durable resistance. The severe epidemics and the occurrence of the large number of races in the 3 years indicate that efforts should be made to use diverse resistance genes, especially to combine effective all-stage resistance genes with genes for high-temperature adult-plant resistance.

scholarly journals Changes of Races and Virulence Genes in Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the Wheat Stripe Rust Pathogen, in the United States from 1968 to 2009

Plant Disease ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 101 (8) ◽  
pp. 1522-1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinglan Liu ◽  
Anmin Wan ◽  
Dengcai Liu ◽  
Xianming Chen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Yellow Rust ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
The United States ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
New Races ◽  
Serious Disease

Stripe (yellow) rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is a serious disease of wheat in the world. The obligate biotrophic fungal pathogen changes its virulence rapidly, which can circumvent resistance in wheat cultivars and cause severe epidemics. Because P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races have been identified in the United States using different wheat genotypes in different time periods, it is difficult to make direct comparisons of the current population with historical populations. The objective of this study was to characterize historical populations with 18 Yr single-gene lines that are currently used to differentiate P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races in order to understand virulence and race changes of the pathogen over 40 years in the United States. From 908 P. striiformis f. sp. tritici isolates collected from 1968 to 2009 in the United States, 171 races were identified and their frequencies were determined. More races, more new races, and races with more virulence genes were detected since the year 2000 than prior to 2000. None of the races were virulent to Yr5 and Yr15, indicating that these genes have been effective since the late 1960s. Virulence genes to the remaining 16 Yr genes were detected in different periods, and most of them increased in frequency over time. Some virulence genes such as those to Yr17, Yr27, Yr32, Yr43, Yr44, YrTr1, and YrExp2 appeared 14 to 37 years earlier than previously reported, indicating the greater value of using Yr single-gene lines as differentials. Positive and negative associations were detected between virulence genes. The continual information on virulence and races in the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici populations is useful for understanding the evolution of the pathogen and for breeding wheat cultivars with effective resistance to stripe rust.

scholarly journals Virulence, Frequency, and Distribution of Races of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and P. striiformis f. sp. hordei Identified in the United States in 2008 and 2009

Plant Disease ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anmin Wan ◽  
Xianming Chen
Keyword(s):  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stripe Rust Resistance ◽  
New Race ◽  
New Races ◽  
Barley Stripe Rust ◽  
Pathogen Populations ◽  
Virulence Diversity

Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and P. striiformis f. sp. hordei, the causal agents of stripe rust on wheat and barley, respectively, can change rapidly in virulence, and such changes may overcome resistance in cultivars and result in severe epidemics. To monitor virulence changes in the pathogen populations, isolates obtained from stripe rust samples collected by the authors and collaborators from 17 U.S. states in 2008 and 13 states in 2009 were tested on 20 wheat and 12 barley differential lines to identify races of P. striiformis f. tritici and P. striiformis f. sp. hordei, respectively. In 2008, 33 P. striiformis f. tritici (PST) races were detected, including a new race, PST-138, which was similar to previously identified PST-127 (virulent on wheat differentials 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20) but not virulent on differential 8. The five most frequent races were PST-114 (virulent on differentials 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20), PST-100 (virulent on differentials 1, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20), PST-116 (similar to PST-114 plus virulent on differential 5), PST-101 (similar to PST-100 plus virulent on differential 2), and PST-98 (similar to PST-100 but not virulent on differential 9). In 2009, 26 P. striiformis f. tritici races were identified, including two new races, PST-139 and PST-140. PST-139 was similar to PST-127 but not virulent on differentials 16 and 20. PST-140 was similar to PST-114 but not virulent on differential 9. The five most frequent races were PST-139 (19%), PST-140 (14%), PST-114 (11%), PST-116 (10%), and PST-127 (9%). However, the most widely distributed races were PST-98 (in 10 of the 14 states) and PST-102 (in 7 of the 14 states). Differential genotype AvSYr5NIL (Yr5) was the only one among the 20 differentials that remained resistant to all of the identified races. Virulence diversity of the P. striiformis f. tritici populations was higher west of the Rocky Mountains. For barley stripe rust, P. striiformis f. sp. hordei (PSH)-33 (virulent on barley differentials 1 and 7) was the most common (46%) of the 11 races detected in 2008, including a new race, PSH-82 (virulent only on barley differentials 1 and 11). In 2009, six previously identified races were detected, of which five (PSH-16, PSH-38, PSH-46, PSH-54, and PSH-71) were detected in Washington and two (PSH-54 and PSH-70) in Oregon. The information on P. striiformis f. sp. tritici and P. striiformis f. sp. hordei races should be useful in selecting genes for developing cultivars with effective stripe rust resistance.

Evaluation of Central Asian wheat germplasm for stripe rust resistance

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma Kokhmetova ◽  
Ram C. Sharma ◽  
Shynbolat Rsaliyev ◽  
Kanat Galymbek ◽  
Kanagat Baymagambetova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Rust Resistance ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Stripe Rust Resistance ◽  
Adult Plant ◽  
Breeding Lines ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Plant Stage ◽  
Breeding Programmes ◽  
New Varieties

AbstractStripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici (Pst), is an important disease of winter wheat in Central Asia. Stripe rust races contain diverse virulence/avirulence patterns and change rapidly. Therefore the objectives of this research were to: (i) examine current pathotype variability of Pst races collected from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and (ii) evaluate stripe rust resistance in leading cultivars and advanced breeding lines targeted to those regions. Analyses of 152 Pst samples showed diverse virulence patterns with avirulence to Yr5, Yr10 and Yr15 being common. Most of identified races are among the rare. Analysis of a mixed Pst population showed 10 distinct pathotypes with frequencies ranged from 1.2 to 8.7%. The virulence patterns ranged from least ‘31–1.5’ and X-1.5 to highly virulent ‘86 + E16’. Seedling evaluation of 62 genotypes using the 10 pathotypes showed variations for resistance. Bunyodkor and Barhayot showed resistance to all pathotypes. Five Yr genes were postulated. Yr1 in KR12-5075, and Yr6 in KR11-03 and KR12-5003 were postulated. Yr5 combined with Yr10 and Yr15 genes were determined in Bunyodkor. The wheat genotypes also showed different levels of resistance in adult plant stage under field conditions. Twenty genotypes showed <20% severity in both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The disease severity on several genotypes differed in this countries, suggesting different Pst populations in the two countries. Several resistant genotypes were identified, which should be further evaluated for release as new varieties or used in breeding programmes. Two resistant lines from this study were identified as new varieties in Georgia and Uzbekistan.

scholarly journals Grass Hosts Harbor More Diverse Isolates of Puccinia striiformis Than Cereal Crops

2016 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Cheng ◽  
X. M. Chen ◽  
D. R. See
Keyword(s):  
Ssr Markers ◽  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Simple Sequence Repeat ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Sequence Repeat ◽  
Grass Hosts ◽  
Simple Sequence

Puccinia striiformis causes stripe rust on cereal crops and many grass species. However, it is not clear whether the stripe rust populations on grasses are able to infect cereal crops and how closely they are related to each other. In this study, 103 isolates collected from wheat, barley, triticale, rye, and grasses in the United States were characterized by virulence tests and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Of 69 pathotypes identified, 41 were virulent on some differentials of wheat only, 10 were virulent on some differentials of barley only, and 18 were virulent on some differentials of both wheat and barley. These pathotypes were clustered into three groups: group one containing isolates from wheat, triticale, rye, and grasses; group two isolates were from barley and grasses; and group three isolates were from grasses and wheat. SSR markers identified 44 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) and clustered them into three major molecular groups (MG) with MLGs in MG3 further classified into three subgroups. Isolates from cereal crops were present in one or more of the major or subgroups, but not all, whereas grass isolates were present in all of the major and subgroups. The results indicate that grasses harbor more diverse isolates of P. striiformis than the cereals.

scholarly journals Virulence Characterization of Wheat Stripe Rust Fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in Ethiopia and Evaluation of Ethiopian Wheat Germplasm for Resistance to Races of the Pathogen from Ethiopia and the United States

Plant Disease ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anmin Wan ◽  
Kebede T. Muleta ◽  
Habtemariam Zegeye ◽  
Bekele Hundie ◽  
Michael O. Pumphrey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Rust Fungus ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
The United States ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Low Frequencies ◽  
Additional Information

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most important diseases of wheat in Ethiopia. In total, 97 isolates were recovered from stripe rust samples collected in Ethiopia in 2013 and 2014. These isolates were tested on a set of 18 Yr single-gene differentials for characterization of races and 7 supplementary differentials for additional information of virulence. Of 18 P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races identified, the 5 most predominant races were PSTv-105 (21.7%), PSTv-106 (17.5%), PSTv-107 (11.3%), PSTv-76 (10.3%), and PSTv-41 (6.2%). High frequencies (>40%) were detected for virulence to resistance genes Yr1, Yr2, Yr6, Yr7, Yr8, Yr9, Yr17, Yr25, Yr27, Yr28, Yr31, Yr43, Yr44, YrExp2, and YrA. Low frequencies (<40%) were detected for virulence to Yr10, Yr24, Yr32, YrTr1, Hybrid 46, and Vilmorin 23. None of the isolates were virulent to Yr5, Yr15, YrSP, and YrTye. Among the six collection regions, Arsi Robe and Tiyo had the highest virulence diversities, followed by Bekoji, while Bale and Holeta had the lowest. Evaluation of 178 Ethiopian wheat cultivars and landraces with two of the Ethiopian races and three races from the United States indicated that the Ethiopian races were more virulent on the germplasm than the predominant races of the United States. Thirteen wheat cultivars or landraces that were resistant or moderately resistant to all five tested races should be useful for breeding wheat cultivars with resistance to stripe rust in both countries.

scholarly journals Emerging Yr26-Virulent Races of Puccinia striiformis f. tritici Are Threatening Wheat Production in the Sichuan Basin, China

Plant Disease ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 99 (6) ◽  
pp. 754-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Han ◽  
Q. L. Wang ◽  
X. M. Chen ◽  
Q. D. Zeng ◽  
J. H. Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Sichuan Basin ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Wheat Breeding ◽  
Stripe Rust Resistance ◽  
Breeding Lines ◽  
Wheat Production ◽  
Stripe Rust Resistance Gene ◽  
The Sichuan Basin

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. tritici, is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat in the world. The Sichuan Basin is one of the most important regions of wheat production and stripe rust epidemics in China. Stripe rust resistance gene Yr26 (the same gene as Yr24) has been widely used in wheat breeding programs and in many cultivars grown in this region since the gene was discovered in the early 1990s. Virulence to Yr26 has increased in frequency since its first detection in 2008. The objective of this study was to assess the vulnerability of the wheat cultivars and breeding lines in the Sichuan Basin to Yr26-virulent races. In total, 85 wheat accessions were tested with Yr26-avirulent races CYR32, CYR33, and Su11-4 and two Yr26-virulent races, V26/CM42 and V26/Gui22. DNA markers for Yr26 were used to determine the presence and absence of Yr26 in the wheat accessions. Of the 85 wheat accessions, only 5 were resistant and 19 susceptible to all races tested, and the remaining 61 were resistant to at least one or more races tested in seedling stage. In all, 65 (76.5%) accessions were susceptible to the emerging Yr26-virulent race V26/Gui22. In field tests, susceptible accessions increased from 31.8% in a nursery inoculated with predominant and Yr26-avirulent races to 61.2% in the nursery inoculated with the predominant races mixed with V26/Gui22. Based on the results of the molecular marker and race tests, 33 (38.8%) accessions were determined to have Yr26, showing that the Yr26 virulence is a major threat to wheat production in the Sichuan Basin and potentially in other regions of China.

scholarly journals Quantitative Trait Loci for High-Temperature Adult-Plant and Slow-Rusting Resistance to Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in Wheat Cultivars

2008 ◽  
Vol 98 (7) ◽  
pp. 803-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Guo ◽  
Z. J. Zhang ◽  
Y. B. Xu ◽  
G. H. Li ◽  
J. Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Quantitative Trait ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Infection Type ◽  
Adult Plant ◽  
Wheat Cultivars ◽  
Slow Rusting ◽  
Adult Plants

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most damaging diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum) globally. High-temperature adult-plant resistance (HTAPR) and slow-rusting have great potential for sustainable management of the disease. The wheat cultivars Luke and Aquileja have been previously reported to possess HTAPR and slow-rusting to stripe rust, respectively. Aquileja displayed less number of stripes per unit leaf area than Luke, while Luke showed lower infection type than Aquileja at adult-plant stages of growth under high-temperature conditions. The objectives of this study were to confirm the resistances and to map the resistance genes in Luke and Aquileja. Luke was crossed with Aquileja, and 326 of the F2 plants were genotyped using 282 microsatellite primer pairs. These F2 plants and their derived F3 families were evaluated for resistance to stripe rust by inoculation in the fields and greenhouses of high- and low-temperatures. Infection type was recorded for both seedlings and adult plants, and stripe number was recorded for adult plants only. Two quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified, on the short arm of chromosome 2B, to be significantly associated with infection type at adult-plant stages in the fields and in the high-temperature greenhouse. The locus distal to centromere, referred to as QYrlu.cau-2BS1, and the locus proximal to centromere, referred to as QYrlu.cau-2BS2, were separated by a genetic distance of about 23 cM. QYrlu.cau-2BS1 was flanked by the microsatellite markers Xwmc154 and Xgwm148, and QYrlu.cau-2BS2 was flanked by Xgwm148 and Xabrc167. QYrlu.cau-2BS1 and QYrlu.cau-2BS2 explained up to 36.6 and 41.5% of the phenotypic variation of infection type, respectively, and up to 78.1% collectively. No significant interaction between the two loci was detected. Another QTL, referred to as QYraq.cau-2BL, was detected on the long arm of chromosome 2B to be significantly associated with stripe number. QYraq.cau-2BL was flanked by the microsatellite markers Xwmc175 and Xwmc332, and it explained up to 61.5% of the phenotypic variation of stripe number. It is possible that these three QTL are previously unmapped loci for resistance to stripe rust.

scholarly journals Identification of Eighteen Berberis Species as Alternate Hosts of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and Virulence Variation in the Pathogen Isolates from Natural Infection of Barberry Plants in China

2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (9) ◽  
pp. 927-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhao ◽  
Long Wang ◽  
Zhiyan Wang ◽  
Xianming Chen ◽  
Hongchang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Stripe Rust ◽  
Puccinia Striiformis ◽  
Genetic Recombination ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Rust Fungi ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Rust Pathogen ◽  
Its Regions

The wheat stripe rust pathogen (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) population in China has been reported to be a distinct genetic group with higher diversity than those in many other countries. Genetic recombination in the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici population has been identified with molecular markers but whether sexual reproduction occurs in China is unknown. In this study, we surveyed barberry plants for infection by rust fungi in the stripe rust “hotspot” regions in Gansu, Sichuan, and Shaanxi provinces; collected barberry plants and inoculated plants of 20 Berberis spp. with germinated teliospores under controlled greenhouse conditions for susceptibility to P. striiformis f. sp. tritici; and tested P. striiformis f. sp. tritici isolates obtained from aecia on naturally infected barberry plants on the wheat genotypes used to differentiate Chinese P. striiformis f. sp. tritici races to determine virulence variations. Different Berberis spp. were widely distributed and most surveyed plants had pycnia and aecia of rust fungi throughout the surveyed regions. In total, 28 Berberis spp. were identified during our study. From 20 Berberis spp. tested with teliospores of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici from wheat plants, 18 species were susceptible under greenhouse conditions. Among 3,703 aecia sampled from barberry plants of three species (Berberis shensiana, B. brachypoda, and B. soulieana) under natural infections in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, four produced P. striiformis f. sp. tritici uredinia on susceptible wheat ‘Mingxian 169’. Sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the four isolates from barberry shared 99% identity with the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. The four isolates had virulence patterns different from all previously reported races collected from wheat plants. Furthermore, 82 single-uredinium isolates obtained from the four barberry isolates had high virulence diversity rates of 9.0 to 28.1%, indicating that the diverse isolates were produced through sexual reproduction on barberry plants under natural conditions. In addition to P. striiformis f. sp. tritici, sequence analysis of polymerase chain reaction products of the ITS regions and inoculation tests on wheat identified P. graminis (the stem rust pathogen). Our results indicated that P. striiformis f. sp. tritici can infect some Berberis spp. under natural conditions, and the sexual cycle of the fungus may contribute to the diversity of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici in China.

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