First Report of Rust Disease on Dendrocalamus somdevai in Uttarakhand, India

Author: R. Juwantha, A. Sharma, J. Saxena, H.S. Ginwal, S. Bhartwal and A. Pandey

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Abstract

Bamboo plants (Dendrocalamus somdevai) found in the homestead and hills of Uttarakhand are used for making many household articles and furniture. The nonavailability of seeds and inadequate traditional rhizome propagation methods make it impossible to fulfil the demand of the expanding pulp, paper, furniture, and rayon industries. The optimum propagation technique is being researched to meet this difficulty. Dendrocalamus somdevai grown in the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, displayed symptoms of rust from late February to April 2022. The disease incidence was too high, as more than 90% of the plants were infected. Uredia and telia were observed on the infected leaves. The species was identified through various taxonomical features such as shape, size of urediniospores and teliospores, etc. observed through light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Based on symptoms and the morphology of the organism, the pathogen was identified as Kweilingia divina. Pathogenicity through urediniospores or sexually reproductive spores has been successfully demonstrated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the rust fungus Kweilingia divina on a new host, Dendrocalamus somdevai, in Uttarakhand, India.

Keywords

Urediniospores, rust, scanning electron microscopy

Conclusion

Over 7000 rust fungi species have been reported to be parasitic on plants, including ferns and economically important plants such as cereals, legumes, composites, and agroforestry tree species (Kolmer et al., 2009). Out of these many rust fungi, about 29 rust fungi spanning 6 genera have been known to infect bamboo species. D. divina, D. bambusina, Puccinia spp., and Tunicospora bagchi, are the rust fungi species recorded from bamboo in India. D. divina is the most widespread rust fungus in the country (Singh and Bakshi 1964; Nema and Mishra 1965; Bakshi et al., 1972; Mohanan, 1994). The Kweilingia divina reported on Dendrocalamus somdevai fits the description given by Cummin (1971); Mundkur and Kheswalla (1943) and Nelson and Goo (2011). For the first time, Kweilingia divina has been found and is causing a rust infection in D. somdevai. We may draw the conclusion that more research is necessary to establish effective remedial strategies to manage the rust disease in D. somdevai as well as to identify its optimum growth method. A viable strategy to emphasize its significance and accommodate future demands is the development of rust-resistant species.

References

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How to cite this article

R. Juwantha, A. Sharma, J. Saxena, H.S. Ginwal, S. Bhartwal and A. Pandey (2022). First Report of Rust Disease on Dendrocalamus somdevai in Uttarakhand, India. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 14(4): 1061-1064.