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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Reno, Nevada » Great Basin Rangelands Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317206
Title: First report of albugo lepidi causing white rust on broadleaved pepperweed (lepidium latifolium) in Nevada and California

Author
item Rector, Brian
item WANG, SHOUHUA - Nevada Department Of Agriculture
item CHOI, YOUNG-JOON - Goethe University
item THINES, MARCO - Goethe University

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/3/2015
Publication Date: 1/15/2016
Citation: Rector, B.G., Wang, S., Choi, Y., Thines, M. 2016. First report of albugo lepidi causing white rust on broadleaved pepperweed (lepidium latifolium) in Nevada and California. Plant Disease. 100:229.

Interpretive Summary: Broadleaved pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) is a cruciferous plant native to Eurasia that has become an invasive weed in wetlands and along riverbanks in the western USA. A fungus that is commonly found on this weed in Nevada and California was studied for its potential as a bioherbicide. Spore shape and size and DNA sequence data indicated that this fungus is Albugo lepidii, not A. candida, a common disease of cole crops, as was previously assumed. A host specificity test showed that the white rust infested broadleaved pepperweed but did not affect any of the other nine species of cruciferous crops that were tested. As such, additional studies on this potential bioherbicide are warranted.

Technical Abstract: The biology and taxonomy of a white rust that is commonly found on the exotic invasive weed Lepidium latifolium were studied in order to assess its potential as a bioherbicide. Previously assumed to be Albugo candida, a common disease of Brassicaceae crops, comparisons of spore morphology and DNA sequence data indicated instead that the white rust is A. lepidii, which has only been reported from Lepidium spp. A host specificity test showed that the white rust infested L. latifolium but did not affect any of the other nine species of domesticated Brassicaceae that were tested. As such, additional studies on this potential bioherbicide are warranted.