Studies on the Physiologic Specialization of Yellow Rust (Puccinia Glumarum (Schm.) Erikss. & Henn.) in Great Britain

During 1945‐8, 223 British collections of yellow rust were determined on Gassner & Straib's differential hosts, with the addition of the wheat variety Wilma. Physiologic races 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 17 were obtained from wheat, race 46 from barley, race 33 from Hordeum murinum and race 28 from Agropyron repens. Three new races, 6x from wheat, M from H. marinum and G from Dactylis glomerata were also isolated. High temperatures increase the susceptibility of some differential hosts to certain wheat races, but decrease that of others. Biotypes of races 2, 6 and 8, differing from the ‘type’ cultures of those races, were isolated. Of the commoner wheat races, nos. 6 and 8, occurring on many wheats, were widespread, but races 5 and 7, on fewer varieties, were confined to the north of Britain, and races 2 and 3, on very few varieties, to the south. Certain grasses are partially susceptible to some of the cereal races. The uredospores of race 2 germinate less well than those of races 5 or 8, other wheat races being intermediate. The optimum temperature for spore germination of race G is 22‐5 C, that of all other races 10–13oC. Twelve wheat varieties were inoculated in the field with each of the eight wheat races, and some varieties developed field resistance to certain races. The races attacking a variety the most severely in the field inoculations were usually the races isolated from that variety in collections received.