rust

rust, plant disease caused by more than 7,000 species of fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota. Rust affects many economically important plant species and usually appears as yellow, orange, red, rust, brown, or black powdery pustules on leaves, young shoots, and fruits. Plant growth and productivity are commonly reduced, and some plants wither and die back. Control involves growing resistant varieties and rust-free plants, destroying alternate host plants, observing stringent sanitation measures, and using appropriate fungicides.

During their life cycle, rust pathogens parasitize either one species of plant (autoecious, or monoecious, rust) or two distinct species (heteroecious rust). One heteroecious rust with five spore forms during its life cycle is black stem rust (Puccinia graminis) of wheat and other cereals and grasses. Other heteroecious rusts include cedar-apple rust (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae), which primarily uses Eastern red cedar as one host and various apple and crabapple (Malus) species as the other; white pine rust (Cronartium ribicola), with five-needled pines as one host and currant and gooseberry (Ribes) species as the other; and a rust (Melampsora medusae) with Douglas fir as one host and poplars as the other. Autoecious rusts include those that attack asparagus, bean, chrysanthemum, coffee (see coffee rust), hollyhock, snapdragon, and sugarcane.

White rust, caused by several funguslike oomycetes in the genus Albugo, attacks many herbaceous plants. Light yellow areas develop on leaves, with chalky-white, waxy, and then powdery pustules that finally darken on the underleaf surface and other aboveground parts. Leaves may wither and die early, stems and flower parts may be greatly swollen and distorted, and growth is stunted. Control methods are similar to those employed for true fungal rusts.