Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Cereal Disease Lab » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #261004
Title: Role of Berberis spp. as alternate hosts in generating new races of Puccinia graminis and P. striiformis

Author
item Jin, Yue

Submitted to: Euphytica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/2010
Publication Date: 5/1/2011
Citation: Jin, Y. 2011. Role of Berberis spp. as alternate hosts in generating new races of Puccinia graminis and P. striiformis. Euphytica. 179:105-108.

Interpretive Summary: The common barberry and several other Berberis species serve as the alternate hosts to two important rust pathogens of small grains and grasses: the stem rust pathogen-Puccinia graminis and the stripe rust pathogen-P. striiformis. Barberry eradication has been practiced for centuries as a means to control stem rust. Diverse virulence variations have been observed in populations of the wheat stem rust pathogen (P. graminis f. sp. tritici)that were associated with susceptible barberries in North America. Barberry likely has played a role in generating new races of wheat stripe rust pathogen (P. striiformis f. sp. tritici) in some regions in the world. Several North American stem rust races, namely races 56, 15B and QCC, initially originated from barberry, were subsequently responsible for generating large-scale stem rust epidemics. Thus, sexual cycles on Berberis species may generate virulence combinations that could have serious consequences to cereal crop production.

Technical Abstract: The common barberry and several other Berberis spp. serve as the alternate hosts to two important rust pathogens of small grains and grasses, Puccinia graminis and P. striiformis. Barberry eradication has been practiced for centuries as a means to control stem rust. Diverse virulence variations have been observed in populations of P. graminis f. sp. tritici that were associated with susceptible barberries in North America. Barberry likely has played a role in generating new races of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici in some regions in the world. Several North American stem rust races, namely races 56, 15B and QCC, initially originated from barberry, were subsequently responsible for generating large-scale epidemics. Thus, sexual cycles on Berberis spp. may generate virulence combinations that could have serious consequences to cereal crop production.