VIEW ARTICLE

Influence of Temperature on Growth of Stripe-Smutted Creeping Bentgrass and on Sorus Development of Ustilago striiformis. Clinton F. Hodges, Assistant Professor of Horticulture and Agronomy, Departments of Horticulture and Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames 50010. Phytopathology 60:665-668. Accepted for publication 6 November 1969. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-60-665.

Temperature influenced number and length of stripe-smutted stolons proliferated from axillary node buds of stripe-smutted stolons. Under all temperature regimes, the number of stripe-smutted stolons produced exceeded that of healthy stolons, but average length of stripe-smutted stolons was reduced, except at day-night temperatures of 21.1 and 15.6 C, respectively. Day-night temperatures of 21.1 and 15.6 C were optimum for production and growth of stripe-smutted stolons; temperatures of 29.4 and 23.9 C were optimum for sorus formation. Production of stripe-smutted stolons grown at 21.1 and 15.6 C from axillary node buds of stripe-smutted stolons grown at high (37.8 and 32.2 C) and low (12.8 and 7.2 C) day-night temperatures for 40 days established that low temperature slowed intercalary formation of teliospores but did not inhibit growth of the pathogen in stolons. High temperature inhibited pathogen growth but did not eradicate it from stolons.