Puccinia kuehnii
Encyclopedia
Puccinia kuehnii is a plant pathogen that causes orange rust
disease of sugarcane
. Orange rust was discovered in 2007 in Florida and has so far been the only state in the United States where sugarcane has been affected by this kind of rust. In order to treat the infected sugarcane at least three rounds of fungicide must be applied to the plant, costing growers $40 million a year. Currently scientists at the Agricultural Research Service are genetically analyzing the fungus that causes orange rust in order to help combat the problem. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100129.htm
Rust (fungus)
Rusts are plant diseases caused by pathogenic fungi of the order Pucciniales. About 7800 species are known. Rusts can affect a variety of plants; leaves, stems, fruits and seeds. Rust is most commonly seen as coloured powder, composed off tiny aeciospores which land on vegetation producing...
disease of sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
. Orange rust was discovered in 2007 in Florida and has so far been the only state in the United States where sugarcane has been affected by this kind of rust. In order to treat the infected sugarcane at least three rounds of fungicide must be applied to the plant, costing growers $40 million a year. Currently scientists at the Agricultural Research Service are genetically analyzing the fungus that causes orange rust in order to help combat the problem. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100129.htm