Soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, originally occurred in Asia. It has now spread to South America and the continental United States. This disease has the potential to cause severe economic losses to U.S. soybean growers, especially in the south, where the environmental conditions are more favorable to P. pachyrhizi survival during winter. In the present study, the effect of simulated southern Louisiana winter temperature conditions (12°C, 14-h days and 1°C, 10-h nights with 75% relative humidity) on soybean rust urediniospore viability was examined. It was found that urediniospore viability declined rapidly from 72 to 40% after 1 day and then decreased gradually to 17% after 7 days and 11% after 60 days. Spores stored under southern Louisiana winter conditions for 60 days still produced pustules on inoculated leaves. In comparison, the viability of spores stored at room temperature decreased gradually and reached 0% at the end of 60 days. Winter temperature treatment not only reduced spore viability but also decreased germ tube growth. In addition, soybean rust spores recovered from overwintered dry kudzu leaves were also found viable. This study indicates that soybean rust spores could survive southern Louisiana winter conditions and initiate a new cycle of infection in the next growing season.
Keywords: detached leaf assay; spore germination rate; spore infectivity.