CEREAL RUST BULLETIN
 Report No. 9
 August 2, 1994
            
 Issued by:
 
 CEREAL RUST LABORATORY   
 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, ST. PAUL  55108     
 (612) 625-6299    FAX (612) 649-5054
 Internet: markh@puccini.crl.umn.edu
 
 Most of the small grains in the northern Great Plains are in good
 condition and near normal in maturity.  Scab is severe in western
 Minnesota and eastern North Dakota spring wheat fields and losses will
 occur in areas that had significant rainfall but the overall loss will
 be less than last year. Barley and winter wheat harvest has begun in
 southeastern North Dakota and northeastern Montana.
 
 
 Wheat stem rust
 
 During 1994, wheat stem rust overwintering sites were found in southern
 Texas and Louisiana.  During the last week in March, traces of stem rust
 were found in a field of Mit wheat located southwest of Houston, Texas. 
 Rust collected from this field was identified as race Pgt-QCCJ.  Stem
 rust in southern Texas and Louisiana was less severe in 1994 than in
 1993.  In March, 1994 moisture conditions (less rainfall and fewer dews)
 and cool nighttime temperatures (less than 40 F) were not favorable for
 rust development.  In late April, in central Texas and southern
 Louisiana traces of stem rust were found in wheat plots.  During late
 May, light amounts of wheat stem rust were observed in north central
 Texas plots at harvest.  By the first week in May, 5% stem rust
 severities were observed throughout the state of Louisiana.  By the
 third week in May, light amounts of wheat stem rust were scattered
 throughout the lower Mississsippi Valley wheat growing area.  In all of
 these areas losses to wheat stem rust were minimal, but these fields and
 plots did provide stem rust inoculum for susceptible wheats and barleys
 farther north.      
 
 In early June, traces of stem rust were observed on McNair 701
 (susceptible host) in a south central Kansas plot. By the third week in
 June, a focus of 10% wheat stem rust severity was found in a
 northwestern Kansas plot of McNair 701 and traces of stem rust were
 found on Karl.  The hot dry weather in late May and early June in Kansas
 was not conducive for rust increase.  
 
 In mid-July, traces of stem rust were found in plots of the winter wheat
 Norstar and the susceptible spring wheat Max in southeastern North
 Dakota.  In late July, traces of stem rust were found in plots in west
 central Minnesota and central and northwestern North Dakota.  Commercial
 spring and durum wheat cultivars in this area have a high level of stem
 rust resistance, so losses to stem rust were negligible.
      Stem rust development throughout the Great Plains was less than
 normal because less rust overwintered.  Then cool dry conditions in late
 winter in the southern Plains and hot dry weather in late May and early
 June in the central Plains were not conducive for rust increase.
 
 Traces of wheat stem rust were first reported in the northern soft red
 winter wheat area in west central Indiana and east central Illiniois in
 mid-June but losses were negligible, because the crop was close to
 harvest.  
 
 In late July, in west central Colorado severe stem rust was found on the
 cultivar Stephens at harvest time.  This was the first time wheat stem
 rust was found at this location on the western slope of the Rockies. 
 
 In early July traces of wheat stem rust were first reported in a eastern
 Washington plot but none was reported in fields.
 
 Race Pgt-TPMK was identified from collections made in southern Texas and
 Louisiana in early spring.  Pgt race QCCJ, which infects barley, was
 identified from collections made in southern Texas in early spring.  
 
 
 Wheat leaf rust
 
 In late March, wheat leaf rust was widespread but less severe than
 normal in fields and plots across southern Texas  (Fig. 1).  Generally,
 leaf rust overwinters throughout southern Texas.  Later planting
 (December), lack of moisture, and cool temperatures are factors other
 than resistance which restricted the rust development.   
 
 In some north central Texas fields, leaf rust overwintered and by late
 March severe rust was noted on the lower leaves.  The lack of moisture
 in April delayed further leaf rust development throughout most of Texas. 
 By the last week in April only light leaf rust was found on flag leaves
 in fields and plots in north central Texas and southwestern Oklahoma. 
 By the third week in May, 20% leaf rust readings were observed on flag
 leaves in few fields in north central Oklahoma and 1% leaf rust
 severities were observed on flag leaves of Triticum cylindricum 
 (Aegilops cylindrica) across central and western Oklahoma.  Losses to
 wheat leaf rust were light in the southern Plains this year.
 
 The amount of leaf rust that overwintered in Kansas during 1993-94 was
 the least observed in the past 15 years.  Cool weather in late March and
 early April was not conducive for rust development.  In early April the
 freezing temperatures in western Kansas killed leaf tissue that was
 infected with rust, thus delaying the local rust build up.  By early May
 traces of leaf rust were found in central Kansas.  In a field of Karl,
 in central Kansas, a few pustules were found on flag leaves but none was
 found on lower leaves which meant the rust developed from spores blown
 into the field from an external source.  In the long distance spread of
 rust, the spores are typically brought down with rain and deposited on
 leaves.  During the third week in May, traces of leaf rust were found on
 flag leaves in plots and fields throughout central, south central and
 southwestern Kansas.  Leaf rust was much lighter in this area than last
 year because very little leaf rust overwintered, temperatures were
 cooler than normal in the early spring, and moisture was less than
 normal.  In northern Kansas, final leaf rust severities were light
 because dry hot conditions pushed the crop to quick maturity. 
 
 In early June, leaf rust was light in southern Nebraska fields on the
 flag leaves at late milk stage.  During the third week in June, trace to
 20% leaf rust sevrities were observed in winter wheat fields in south
 central Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota.  Damage varied with
 local conditions but some fields suffered losses in yield.  
 
 During late June, traces of leaf rust were observed in spring wheat
 fields in west central Minnesota, and 10% severities were found in plots
 of the susceptible cultivar Baart in southern Minnesota and southeastern
 North Dakota.  Most of the infections were on the lower leaves.  During
 late June in southeastern North Dakota winter wheat plots, trace-5%
 severities were observed at 1/4 berry stage.  In early July, severities
 of 5-60% were common on flag leaves in plots of susceptible winter wheat
 in east central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.  In late July,
 in susceptible spring wheat plots, 40% severities were common, while in
 fields only traces were noted in the northern Great Plains.  Due to
 resistance, only traces of leaf rust developed and therefore losses were
 minimal in the spring wheat.  No rust was reported on durum wheat.
 
 During early April, leaf rust severities were generally light throughout
 Louisiana (Fig. 1).  During November to January, the temperatures  were
 cooler than normal, which didn't allow the rust to increase as during
 the winter of 1992-93.  No leaf rust was found in southern Louisiana CK
 9877 plots, in contrast to last year when rust was severe in these
 plots.  In mid-April, severe leaf rust was reported in susceptible plots
 in southern Louisiana and light amounts of leaf rust were found in east
 central Arkansas fields.  By late May, in northeastern Arkansas leaf
 rust severities ranged from traces to 50% in plots and traces to 10% in
 fields.  These rust infected plants provided leaf rust inoculum for
 susceptible wheat farther north.   
 
 From southern Missisippi to southern Georgia winter rainfall was above
 normal creating favorable conditions for rust infection, however, cooler
 than normal temperatures in November slowed rust establishment and very
 little development occurred in the coldest months of December and
 January.  By early April, leaf rust severities were generally light on
 susceptible southern soft red winter wheat in plots and fields from
 southern Mississippi to southern Georgia.  Then drier than normal
 conditions and cool temperatures slowed leaf rust spore production and
 movement in much of this area.  By the first week in May, leaf rust
 severities ranged from traces to 90% in wheat plots and fields at the
 soft dough stage from the Florida panhandle to east central Louisiana.  
 Throughout the southern soft red winter wheat area, leaf rust losses
 were light except for a few isolated cases.  
 
 In mid-June, in the northern soft red winter wheat area, traces of leaf
 rust were observed in fields and traces to 10% in nurseries at soft
 dough stage.  This was much less leaf rust than normal for this area
 because of drier than normal conditions, no rust overwintering which was
 related to later than normal fall planting and less inoculum arriving
 from the south.
 
 
 In early July, light leaf rust was found on winter wheat in central and
 western New York.  In these areas losses to wheat leaf rust were
 minimal.
 
 In late April, light amounts of wheat leaf rust were found in the
 Central Valley, California.  By mid-May, leaf rust was widespread and
 severe on susceptible cultivars in fields and nurseries.  By the fourth
 week in May, leaf rust had increased to severe levels in plots and
 fields in the Sacramento Valley of California.  In these areas in
 California wheat leaf rust losses occurred in fields of susceptible
 cultivars.  By early June, severe leaf rust was observed in plots at
 Corvallis, Oregon and light rust was found in the Pullman, Washington
 area.  In early July, light leaf rust was found on winter wheat in the
 Gallatin Valley in Montana.
 
 From preliminary tests three new races were identified MCG-10, MDG-10
 and MLM-10.  As in the previous 3 years race MBG-10 was the predominate
 race identified from the southern soft red winter wheat area.  Races
 MBR-10 and TDG-10 were more widespread and more common than in previous
 surveys.  
 
 
 Wheat stripe rust
 
 In late March, 5% severities were observed on the soft red winter wheat
 cultivar Coker 9835 in the Uvalde nursery in southern Texas.  High
 temperatures retarded further development in this nursery.  There were
 no reports of wheat stripe rust being found this year in the southern
 Mississippi River Valley wheat growing area.  
 
 During the second week in April, traces of wheat stripe rust were found
 in the Davis, California nurseries.  During the last week in April,
 wheat stripe rust was found in nurseries in the Central Valley,
 California.  By the second week in May, severe wheat stripe rust was
 found in San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley plots in California.  Stripe
 rust was more widespread in California than the last two years. 
 
 During mid-April, significant amounts of stripe rust were observed in
 northwestern Washington wheat plots.  Severities of 80% were found on
 the most susceptible lines in the Mount Vernon nursery.  By late May,
 stripe rust was severe in northwestern Washington plots and in some
 fields which were susceptible to stripe rust.  In eastern Washington,
 stripe rust was light this year which was due to lower than normal
 rainfall and higher than normal springtime temperatures.  
   During the first week in July, traces of wheat stripe rust were found
 in the Gallatin valley in Montana.
 
 
 Oat stem rust
 
 Light amounts of oat stem rust were found in southern Texas oat plots in
 mid-April and north central Texas plots in late May.  This year in
 Texas, oat stem rust development was less than normal which relates to
 the dry conditions. 
 
 Oat stem rust was detected in the central plains on June 21 in north
 central Kansas plots and in a field in southwestern Nebraska.  In early
 July, trace amounts of oat stem rust were found in oat fields in west
 central Wisconsin. In mid-July, traces of oat stem rust were found in
 fields in central Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota and in plots
 in east central Minnesota and east central South Dakota.  During the
 last week in July, light amounts of oat stem rust were found in plots in
 west central and northwest Minnesota and traces in central Minnesota
 fields.  Trace to 5% severities were observed in wild oats (Avena fatua) 
 plants growing in a field in northcentral North Dakota. This year oat
 stem rust developed late in the northern oat growing area and losses
 were light except for late maturing fields.  
 
 Early oat stem rust development in southern Louisiana was less than last
 year on the same date.  Infection was light in southern Louisiana oat
 nurseries in early April, but it increased rapidly after that.  During
 the last week in April, oat stem rust was severe on susceptible
 cultivars in southern Louisiana and southern Alabama nurseries. 
 Although the oat stem rust  developed very late, it still destroyed most
 of the oat variety trials in southern Louisiana nurseries.  During the
 first week in May, 5% stem rust severities were observed in oat plots in
 Quincy, Florida and Fairhope, Alabama at the hard dough stage.  By the
 third week in May, light amounts of oat stem rust were found in
 southwestern Georgia and northwestern Mississippi nurseries.  Stem rust
 severities were lower in fields than in nursery plots.  This year oat
 stem rust was found in as many locations in the Southeast as in a normal
 year but losses were light since the rust developed so late in oat
 fields.
 
 During the last week in July, light amounts of oat stem rust were found
 in plots in west central and northwest Minnesota and traces in fields in
 central Minnesota.  Trace to 5% severities were observed in wild oats
 (Avena fatua)  plants growing in a northcentral North Dakota field. 
 Losses  to oat stem rust were minimal in these areas.
 
 Light amounts of oat stem rust were found in the Central Valley,
 California plots in late April.  
 
 Race NA-27, virulent to Pg-1,-2,-3,-4 and -8 remains the predominant
 race of the oat stem rust population (Table 1).
 
 TABLE 1.  Oat stem rust races identified through July 18, 1994.
 _____________________________________________________________
 
                      No of           No. of isolates of race
              _____________________   ________________________
 State        collections isolates    NA-5     NA-16     NA-27
 _____________________________________________________________
 Alabama           3          9                            9
 California        1          3        3
 Florida           4         12                           12
 Louisiana         3          9                  3         6
 Mississippi       1          3                            3
 Texas             7         21                  9        12
 _____________________________________________________________
 Total            19         57        3        12        42
 
 
 Oat crown rust
 
 During the last week in March, crown rust was severe in nurseries and
 traces were found in fields in southern Texas.  During the last week of
 April, light amounts of crown rust were observed in central Texas plots.
 This widespread rust development and severities were comparable to last
 year in this area. 
 
 In mid-April, oat crown rust was increasing rapidly in Louisiana plots. 
 During the last week in April, rust severities ranged from trace to 30%
 on susceptible oat cultivars growing in nurseries from southern Georgia
 to southern Louisiana.  By the first week in May, crown rust severities
 ranged from traces to 70% in oat plots at soft dough from the Florida
 panhandle to east central Louisiana.  During the third week in May,
 traces of crown rust were found in east central Mississippi and
 northeastern Arkansas plots.
 
 During the third week of May, oat crown rust was beginning to appear on
 oats adjacent to buckthorn, the alternate host, in the St. Paul, MN
 nursery.  In early June, crown rust was light on oats in southern
 Wisconsin and southern Minnesota.  During the third week in June, trace
 to 10% crown rust severities were found on oat plots in northcentral
 Kansas and southern Minnesota and east central South Dakota plots and
 fields.  Most of the infections were on the lower leaves.  In mid-July,
 trace-10% severities were found on oat flag leaves throughout the
 eastern Dakotas, southern Minnesota and southern Wisconsin fields.  In
 east and west central Minnesota and east central South Dakota plots, 80%
 severities were observed.  By late July, severe crown rust was found in
 northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.  Crown rust was
 severe and widespread this year.  The most severe rust was found in
 fields where rust occurred early and conditions were conducive for rust
 development.  Buckthorn growing in close proximity to oat fields
 provided some of the initial inoculum in these areas, i.e. southern
 Wisconsin and southern Minnesota.  Buckthorn bushes appear to be common
 in southeastern South Dakota and may contribute to oat crown rust in
 that area.   Crown rust was also found on three other hosts  Avena fatua
 (40% severity), Hordeum jubatum(30% severity) and Agropyron repens(20%
 severity) in eastern North Dakota.  This year light to moderate losses
 to crown rust occurred throughout the northern oat growing area.
 
 Among the 32 oat crown rust isolates from Texas that have been tested,
 31% were virulent on Pc38, 16% on Pc39, and 13% on Pc68.  A high
 proportion of the isolates collected from breeder's nurseries were
 virulent on TAM-0-386, but only 16% were virulent on the resistant
 selection, TAM-0-386R.  From the same nurseries, 13% of the isolates
 were virulent on TAM-0-393.  No virulence was found in Texas for Pc45,
 Pc48, Pc52, or Pc62.
 
 
 Barley stem rust
 
 The first report of barley stem rust was during the third week in June
 when traces were found in plots in southwestern Nebraska.  During
 mid-July, traces of stem rust were found in southeastern North Dakota
 plots and north-central South Dakota and central and southeastern
 Minnesota fields.  Traces of stem rust were found on wild barley
 (Hordeum jubatum)  growing in a northeastern South Dakota roadside ditch
 in mid-July.  In late July, traces of barley stem rust were found in
 southeastern and central North Dakota fields and in east central North
 Dakota and west central Minnesota plots.  Losses to barley stem rust
 were light this year because low levels of stem rust inoculum arrived
 late in the season when the barley crop was near maturity.
 
 
 Barley leaf rust
 
 By the last week in March, severe leaf rust caused by Puccinia hordei,
 was observed on barley plots in southern Texas.  Limited amounts of
 barley are grown commercially in the southern and central Plains states
 and barley leaf rust often is not found in these areas.   
 
 During the last week in April, light leaf rust was observed in
 southwestern Georgia and northeastern South Carolina barley plots.  By
 the last week in April, barley leaf rust was severe in Central Valley,
 California nurseries.
 
 By late May, barley leaf rust was light in eastern Virginia plots where
 the rust had been artificially inoculated.  No evidence of overwintered
 leaf rust was found in this area, which is unusual.  During mid-June,
 10% leaf rust severities were reported in plots in central Kentucky.
 
 In mid-July, traces of barley leaf rust were found in commercial fields
 in east central South Dakota and central and northeastern North Dakota.  
 This year in the U.S. losses to barley leaf rust were minimal.
 
 
 Barley stripe rust
 
 In mid-April, light amounts of barley stripe rust were found in border
 rows in southern Texas plots.  
 
 During the last week in April, barley stripe rust foci were observed in
 a nursery in the San Joaquin Valley, California.  During the second week
 in May, stripe rust was increasing and was more widespread than last
 year in San Joaquin Valley, California.  Rust also was found in Davis,
 California plots.  It has not determined whether this is barley stripe
 rust or wheat stripe rust on barley.  Stripe rust was also reported in
 barley plots near Logan, Utah.  Barley stripe rust this year was less
 widespread this year than in 1993.
 
 
 Rye stem rust
 
 By late July, rye stem rust was found in plots in central North Dakota,
 west central and northwestern Minnesota.  In the Minnesota plots 10%
 severities were observed.  This is the most severe rye stem rust that
 has been observed in the past 5 years.
 
 
 Rye leaf rust
 
 During the last week in March, 40% rye leaf rust severities were
 observed in plots and fields in southern Texas.  By the first week in
 May, rye leaf rust was increasing in southern Georgia fields and
 nurseries.  By the third week in May, in two north central Oklahoma rye
 fields, 5% leaf rust severities were observed.  In late May, trace
 amounts of leaf rust were found on lower rye leaves in east central
 Minnesota plots and south central Wisconsin fields.  During the third
 week in June, severe leaf rust (20% severities on lower leaves) were
 observed in winter rye fields in east central South Dakota.  In
 mid-July, 30% rye leaf rust severities were observed in a southeastern
 Pennsylvania field and traces were found in northwestern North Dakota
 plots.  Rye leaf rust was widespread throughout the U.S. but losses to
 the disease were light.
 
 
 Crown rust on Buckthorn
 
 In early May, uniform light aecial infections were found on buckthorn
 (alternate host for crown rust) bushes in southeastern Minnesota. 
 During late May, moderate infections of aecia were observed on
 buckthorns throughout southern Wisconsin and southern Minnesota.  By
 early June, light to moderate aecial infections were reported on
 buckthorn in west central Minnesota, southeastern North Dakota and
 northeastern South Dakota.  In late June, aecial development was heavy
 on buckthorn in Minnesota.  Spread from buckthorn to oats occurred the
 last two weeks in June.   
 
 
 Stem rust on Barberry
 
 In early May, the aecial stage of stem rust was observed on Berberis
 vulgaris  bushes in Dane County in southern Wisconsin.  By early June,
 traces of stem rust were found on bushes in three locations in Dane
 County.  During the first week in June, the aecial stage of stem rust
 was found on barberry bushes in southeastern Minnesota. 
 
 This is the last issue of the Cereal Rust Bulletin for the 1993-94
 growing season.  I would like to thank all of those who helped with the
 bulletin this year, especially Mark Hughes  who coordinates its
 distribution through e-mail  (markh@puccini.crl.umn.edu) and the post. 
 As most universities and research facilities now have access to Internet
 we would like to use this system for exchanging information.  Any
 reports of rust that you find in your area will be appreciated and this
 information will be added to the CRB.  My user name is
 davidl@puccini.crl.umn.edu.
 
 Your comments on any aspect of the Cereal Rust Bulletin are welcome.
 
 David L. Long