Epidemic Spread of Barley Stripe Rust in South America. H. J. Dubin, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Box 2600, Quito, Ecuador. R. W. Stubbs, Research Institute for Plant Protection (IPO), Box 9060, Wageningen, Netherlands. Plant Dis. 70:141-144. Accepted for publication 2 August 1985. Copyright 1986 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-70-141.

Epidemics of barley stripe rust, shown to be caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei race 24 and its variants started in 1975 near Bogotá, Colombia, and affected nearly all commercial barley areas in South America by 1982. The pathogen is theorized to be exotic. Yield losses of 30–70% were estimated in the Andean countries, depending on year and country. European and recently released Andean barley cultivars tested were resistant, whereas North American cultivars were highly susceptible to the pathogen.

Keyword(s): Hordeum, yellow rust.