Infection of triticale cultivars by Puccinia striiformis: first report on disease severity and yield loss

Field trials containing triticale and wheat cultivars were conducted in 2000-2002 at Goettingen, Germany. In 200 1, a high level of infection by Puccinia striiformis (yellow rust) occurred. Symptoms of the disease on spikes were described. The cultivars of triticale showed significant differences in percentage of infected leaf area (0.2-56.2 %) and infected spikelets per ear (1.1-42.6 %). Grain yield loss caused by yellow rust ranged from 0.4 % to 21.5 %, compared to fungicide-treated plots. The susceptible wheat cultivars were also severely infected by P. striiformis on leaves, but rarely on spikes. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the severity of yellow rust infection on triticale and on the yield toss caused by the disease in Germany.