Alternate hosts and their impact on genetic diversity of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and disease epidemics

Abstract

Since the discovery of Berberis and Mahonia species. as aecial hosts of the wheat stripe rust pathogen, Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici Eriks. (Pst), their possible role in generating new races of Pst through sexual reproduction, has become a hot issue in the agricultural scientific community. To date, all the investigations about the role of alternate hosts in the occurrence of the wheat stripe rust disease epidemics reveal that it depends on the pathogen species, environmental conditions, and specific climatic situations. In this review, we summarize the current status of alternate hosts of Pst, and their impact on genetic diversity and disease epidemics. Most importantly, an overview of the recent research progress in understanding the role of alternate hosts of Pst is provided.