FIRST REPORT OF PUCCINIA SORGHI ON MAIZE IN OMAN.

Authors: DEADMAN, M - OMAN; AL SADI, A - OMAN; AL MAQBALI, Y - OMAN; LIVINGSTON, S - OMAN; Aime, Mary

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/6/2006
Publication Date: 6/20/2006
Citation: Deadman, M.L., Al Sadi, A.M., Al Maqbali, Y.M., Livingston, S., Aime, M.C. 2006. First report of puccinia sorghi on maize in oman.. Plant Disease. 90:826.

Interpretive Summary: Rust fungi are a very large and diverse group of parasites that attack plants and annually cause billions of dollars of crop losses in the United States and throughout the world. This paper reports a rust fungus for the first time on maize or corn in the middle-eastern country of Oman. Knowledge of the distribution of plant pathogenic fungi is useful to agronomists and plant pathologists as well as plant regulatory and quarantine officials.

Technical Abstract: Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important annual forage crop cultivated in the Sultanate of Oman during the summer months. It is used both for green fodder and grains and often intercropped in fruit orchards especially under date palms. In April 2005, leaf samples showing rust symptoms were collected from Samail, 100 km south of Muscat. Oval-shaped, red-brown pustules covered both sides of the leaves and yielded urediniospores typical of Puccinia sorghi Schwein. Urediniospores were roughly subglobose, measuring 23-28 x 20-25 µm, echinulate, with 3 or 4 equitorial germ pores. Very few teliospores were observed, measuring 38-42 x 16-19 µm, most probably because of the time of year of collection. Pathogen identity was confirmed by nuclear ribosomal large subunit DNA analysis (voucher sequence deposited in GenBank, voucher specimen deposited in the U.S. National Fungus Collections). P. sorghi has not previously been reported from Oman. Oxalis species are present and current research is attempting to locate and confirm the presence of the aecial stage in Oman.