EC1802 Reduce Black Stem Rust of Wheat, Oats, Barley, Rye J
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Historical Materials from University of Nebraska- Extension Lincoln Extension 5-1943 EC1802 Reduce Black Stem Rust of Wheat, Oats, Barley, Rye J. E. Livingston Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist Livingston, J. E., "EC1802 Reduce Black Stem Rust of Wheat, Oats, Barley, Rye" (1943). Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. 2732. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/2732 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Extension at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Reduce Black Stem Rust .;:t; of Wheat, Oats, Barley, Rye 180~ J E. Livingston ~ ) J Extension Plant Pathologist The University of Nebraska Agricultural College Extension Service and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating W. H. Brokaw, Director, Lincoln, Nebraska Distributed in furtherance of Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914 (5-43-20M) Acknowledgement is made to the Conference for the Pre vention of Grain Rust, Minneapolis, Minnesota, for assistance in preparation of illustrative material, and to the Division of Plant Disease Control, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quar antine, Washington, D . C., for assistance in preparation of this circular. Two Important Sources of Stem Rust From Barberry rust organism is spread from the old straw, stubble 2. Blown in From Other Areas 1. and grasses of the past year to the green, growing In the spring, tiny stem rust spores become detached grain of the next year. Under certain conditions r usted grain in Texas and from old straw and grasses and are blown about by northern Mexico may serve as another source of stem the air currents. Those falling on barberry leaves, Both Sources are Important rust infection for grain crops in the Missouri Valley. When severe stem rust occurs in the southern ar ea under favorable conditions, germinate and grow in Rust development over large areas may result from to the leaf tissues. Soon orange-colored rust spots the tiny rust spores are blown into the air above the spores being blown in from other crop-producing re fields and drift with the air currents. These spores appear on the barberry leaves. Each of those spots gions. Barberry bushes serve to carry over stem rust settle very slowly, and thus may be carried long in turn produces millions of spores. infection from the previous year, serve as centers of distances. Generally speaking, this northward spread During the late spring and early summer the rust early infection, and as centers for the development of of rust is by progressive stages and the first infection spores, shed from the barberry leaves, drift in the air new strains of the rust organism. Accumulation of of grain in Nebraska from this source usually occurs currents like particles of dust and are deposited on evidence during past years shows that barberry serves later than infection from local barberries. grains and many of the wild and cultivated grasses. as the earliest source of infection for Nebraska. Stem rust blown in from other areas is important There the fungus is capable of growing into th stem in Nebraska when: (1) viable stem rust spores ar e Does more than one kind of rust attack grains? tissues, producing brick-red rust spots. Once estab carried into the state in large quantities by winds, (2) lished on the growing stems, the rust fungus produces There are several different kinds of rust that attack the strains of rust are capable of seriously injuring millions of rust spores every few days. These, in turn, grain plants the most common of which are leaf rust the varieties of grain grown in the state, (3) Nebras drift with the air currents to neighboring grain plants on wheat, leaf rust on oats, and stem rust on wheat, ka's grain crop matures later than normal, and (4) the and fields, and serve as new centers of infection. oats, barley and rye. It is only the stem rust of cereals above conditions are accompanied by weather favor As the grain matures the red rust spores are re that develops on the barberry. able for the rapid development of stem r ust. Only recently it has been recognized that the high placed by black spores which remain dorman.t through Does weather cause stem rust? the winter. It is only those stem rust spores which temperatures and light intensities of the southern reach the black stage that are able to survive the Stem rust increases rapidly during warm, damp grain-producing areas are sufficient to prevent stem Nebraska winter. Once the stem rust fungus has weather, but the disease does not occur unless spores rust from normally surviving the summer season in entered the black or winter stage it is incapable of of the rust fungus are present to cause infection. that region. Actually, this southern area is r einfected each fall by stem rust spores from northern areas again infecting the grains and grasses until it first Is only barberry known to spread stem rust? passes through a period of growth on its alternate drifting back into the region with the northerly w inds. host, barberry. Therefore, the object in destroying Yes. However, not all species of barberry dissemin In Texas and northern Mexico the stem rust organism the rust-susceptible barberry bushes in the northern ate stem rust. is capable of surviving the mild winter in the r ed, or states is to eliminate the method by which the stem repeating stage. From this source, rust is able to de Will burning infected straw and grasses help? velop to an epidemic proportion in the southern area It is not a practical method of stem rust control. if later growing conditions are favorable. Will premature harvesting reduce losses? Studies made at the Nebraska Experiment Station relative to harvesting winter wheat at different stages RUS T SPORES ARE of maturity show that premature harvesting may CARRIED N O RTHWARD PROGRESSI VE LY BY T HE lower the yield as much or more than stem rust infec WIND FROM LOCALI TY tion. Harvesting winter wheat (free of stem rust) in TO LOCALI T Y AS THE early dough stage reduces the yield approximately 29 per cent, and in the late dough stage about 10 per cent, as compared with grain harvested in the ripe stage. What can the individual do to reduce losses? Small grain producers can reduce stem rust losses to a minimum by planting only approved resistant varieties of small grain where they are available and by eradicating all rust-susceptible barberries growing on their properties. The value of cooperation The effectiveness of stem rust control work is de p ndent on the extent to which growers practice rec ommended control measures. The more people who make sure that rust-spreading species of barberry ar e not permitted to grow, the more rapidly the barberry THE RED STAGE IN TEXA S & ME XICO Stem rust on barberry leaves. eradication project can be drawn to a successful close. Stem Rust Control Problems and Practices New Strains of Stem Rust Reduce Stem Rust Losses NEW STRAINS OF STEM RUST by the Following Farm Practices Produced on Barberry DEVELOP ON BARBERRY LEAVES The problem of producing stem rust-re- Stem rust must be prevented, as it can sistant vari ties of grain is complicated by not be controlled successfully once it be the existence of many different strains of A RUST ST RA I N comes prevalent in a field of grain. The C APA ~LE O r D O IN G following constitute essential measures in rust which differ in their ability to attack SEVER E DA A GE TO varieties of wheat and other grains. In ad A CERTAIN VA RIETY the efforts to reduce losses from stem rust: dition new strains of stem rust may be or WHEAT 1. Destroy all rust-susceptible barberry devel~ped and old strains . p_erpetua~ed bushes in Nebraska. As long as one of through hybridization of ex1shng straills these harmful shrubs remains in a com IT MAY BE munity it serves not only as a source of as the rust fungus passes through the stage CA PA BLE OF of growth on barberry. These new strains NEW STRAIN___. CAUSING SEVERE stem rust, but produces seed from which L RUw"'"ST STRAITHmN S rwo---+ -A are not only a hazard to the grain growers IS PRODUCED • DAMAG E TO A additional bushes may develop, and is a of the immediate vicinity, but they also !WHEAT HERETOFORE point from which new strains of the stem RUST RESISTANT complicate the problem of the plant \ "'""0"' rust organism may originate. breeder in producing varieties of grain re- 2. Sow the more rust-resistant var ieties of grain recommended by the State Agri sistant to the commonly occurring strains A SECOND RUST of stem rust. ST RA IN CAPABLE Or cultural College, as such become available. The reader can more easily appreciate DOIN G SEVE RE DAMAGE 3. Generally speaking, the earlier a grain TO ANOTH VAR IETY field matures the gTeater are its chances the complexity of the task of producing OF WHEAT varieties more resistant to stem rust when of escaping damage from stem r ust. Seed it is realized that there are at least 200 dif- DIAGRAM APPLIES TO STEM RUST Of WHEAT. OATS. S. RYE fall grain as nearly as possible in accord ferent strains of the stem rust fungus with the recommended seeding dates-too which attack wheat, 12 which attack oats, and 14 early or too late may increase losses from period.