Temperature and Leaf Wetness Effects on Infection of Sugarcane by Puccinia melanocephala

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2012

Abstract

Brown rust epidemics in sugarcane, caused by Puccinia melanocephala, vary in severity between seasons. To improve the understanding of disease epidemiology, the effects of leaf wetness, temperature and their interaction on infection of sugarcane by the pathogen were studied under controlled conditions. Disease severity was low at 15 and 31°C regardless of leaf wetness duration. No infection occurred with a 4-h leaf wetness period. Increasing leaf wetness duration from 7 to 13h lowered the temperature required for disease onset from 21 to 17°C. More infection occurred with 13 compared to 10h of leaf wetness at 17°C, and severity decreased for all leaf wetness periods at 29 compared to 27°C. Postinfection suboptimal low and high temperatures increased the time required for lesion development and high temperatures decreased maximum disease severity. The observed effects of leaf wetness and temperature on infection by P. melanocephala could help explain the initiation, rate of increase and decline of brown rust epidemics in the field. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Journal of Phytopathology

First Page

294

Last Page

298

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS