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First Report of Virulence Phenotypes of Puccinia helianthi, Causal Agent of Sunflower Rust in Illinois

Sunflower rust caused by Puccinia helianthi (Schw.) is an autoecious and macrocyclic rust that occurs on wild perennial, wild annual, and cultivated sunflower species (Helianthus annuus L.). Severe epidemics of sunflower rust can significantly reduce yield and quality of cultivated sunflower (4). Uredinia of P. helianthi were observed in individual sunflower fields in four Illinois counties in 2008, namely; Champaign, LaSalle, McLean, and Livingston. Leaves with uredinia from each field were collected and shipped to the USDA-ARS Sunflower Pathology Laboratory in Fargo, ND. Urediniospores were harvested by rinsing leaves with Soltrol 170 isoparaffin solvent (Chevron Phillips Chemicals, Woodlands, TX). Urediniospores were increased by inoculating the spore suspension onto 21-day-old seedlings of susceptible oilseed hybrid Myc-7350 with a vacuum-pump powered atomizer. After the Soltrol 170 evaporated, plants were placed in a dew chamber for 24 h and then moved to a greenhouse at approximately 20 to 25°C with a 14-h photoperiod. When sporulating uredinia were visible, a bulk collection of urediniospores was made from samples of each location. Additionally, one single-pustule derived isolate from each location was obtained by harvesting urediniospores from a single pustule and increasing as above. To determine the virulence phenotypes, each single-pustule derived isolate and bulk collection were inoculated as above onto at least two replicated sets of the nine international differential lines (each set containing three plants per line) and evaluated after 14 days (1,2). The single-pustule isolates from LaSalle, Livingston, and McLean counties were determined to be virulence phenotype 300. The single-pustule isolate from Champaign produced no infection on any differential lines, including the susceptible, and was therefore considered not viable. The virulence phenotypes of the bulk samples were coded as 330 (Champaign), 324 (McLean), and 336 (Livingston and LaSalle). Virulence of all aforementioned virulence phenotypes was found to be common in a recent survey of 400 Midwestern P. helianthi samples collected in 2007 and 2008 (1). Although sunflower production is limited in Illinois, expansion could occur. This is particularly true in southern Illinois, where double cropping sunflower after winter wheat is a possibility. Urediniospore germination and infection is favored by free moisture and temperatures ranging from 10 to 25°C, while optimum temperature for spore development ranges from 20 to 35°C (3). These environmental conditions are often more common in Illinois than in the major sunflower-producing states in the Great Plains, where sunflower rust is a concern annually. Thus, determination of P. helianthi virulence phenotypes in Illinois may be important for future management of sunflower rust.

References: (1) T. J. Gulya and S. G. Markell. National Sunflower Association. Online Publication/Gulya_RustStatus_09, 2009. (2) T. Gulya and S. Masirevic. FAO Eur. Res. Network on Sunflower. Bucarest, Romania. 31, 1995. (3) T. Gulya et al. Sunflower Diseases. Page 263 in: Sunflower Technology and Production. A. A. Schneiter, ed. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI, 1997. (4) S. Markell et al. Plant Dis. 93:668, 2009.