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Morphologic and Pathometric Characterization of the Asian Soybean Rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) in Santa Fe Province, Argentina

The Asian soybean rust caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi was cited for the first time in Argentina during the 2002-2003 growing season (3). During 2003-2004, the disease spread to other northern provinces and was also observed in north-central Santa Fe, the main producing soybean province of the country. Because the disease appeared at the end of the crop growing season (late March to early April) it had little or no impact on crop yields. The objectives of this study were to characterize morphologically and pathometrically the disease on soybean and check the presence of P. pachyrhizi on volunteer soybean plants that could eventually carry the disease to the next growing season. The study was conducted in the San Justo Department, Santa Fe Province (between 30 and 31°S latitude), where the presence of the soybean rust was molecularly confirmed by Sistema Nacional Vigilancia y Monitoreo (on-line publication at www.sinavimo.gov.ar). Three field locations were sampled and identified as M1, M2, and M3. Transversal cuts of soybean leaves through rust lesions and histo-pathological staining were used for micromor-phologic characterization of the developmental stages of P. pachyrhizi. The disease incidence was estimated as the proportion of affected soybean plants and leaves. Average severity, expressed as the percentage of leaf area affected, including chlorosis, was measured on the terminal leaflet of leaves sampled from the lower one-third of the canopy. Three replicates of 10 plants, randomly chosen, were used. The number of uredinia per square centimeter and per lesion (symptomatic foliar area showing chlorosis and necrosis caused by the fungus) was measured on the undersides of the sampled leaflets at ×40 magnification (1). Typical signs and symptoms of P. pachyrhizi coexisted on soybean leaves with brown spot (Septoria glycines), downy mildew (Peronospora manshurica), anthracnose (Colletotrichum truncatum), and blight and leaf spot (Cercospora kikuchii) and also with bacteria (Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas spp.). Uredinia and telia of the P. pachyrhizi cycle were observed. Uredinia were also observed on soybean petioles. The average size of urediniospores (n = 60) was 23.3 × 16.6 μm. Telia were located adjacent to the uredinia. These telia were dark and crusty with four stacked layers of teliospores. Rust incidence in plants was 100% for the three fields, while the incidence in leaves was 100% for M1 and M2 and 60% for M3. Average disease severity was 50.3, 25.6, and 14.8% for M1, M2, and M3, respectively. The mean number of uredinia per square centimeter was 327, 179, and 177, for M1, M2, and M3, respectively. The number of uredinia per lesion ranged from 1 to 6. P. pachyrhizi was also found on volunteer soybean plants that emerged shortly after harvest. On 40 leaflets, the foliar incidence was 25%, showing one to two lesions with one to two uredinios per leaflet (2). The volunteer soybean plants could constitute a potential early source of inoculum.

References: (1) M. Marcchetti et al. Phytopathology. 66:461, 1976. (2) R. Pioli et al. La roya asiática en Santa. Fe, Arg. XII Cong. AAPRESID, II Sem. Internac. Soja, Arg. 283--290, 2004. (3) R. L. Rossi. Plant Dis. 87:102, 2003.