Studies on the determination of the rust fungi on weeds

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the rust fungi species on weeds in 14 provinces of Turkey. Rust fungi species were found on 57 weed species and evaluated for the possibilities for biological control of weeds. Five different rust genera ( Coelosporium sp., Melampsora sp., Phragmidium sp., Puccinia sp., Uromyces sp.) were identified. Distribution of the 53 rust species were as fallows: one species belonged to Coelosporium sp., nine species belonged to Uromyces spp., one species belonged to Phragmidium , one species belonged to Melampsora sp. and 41 species belonged to Puccinia spp. Totally 11 of the species could be the first records for Turkish parasitic mycoflora and nine weed species were new hosts although the pathogens exists on other plant species in Turkey. Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory researchers (Beltsville, U.S.A.) endorsed us in identifying rust fungi.