Confirmation of Berberis spp. as alternate hosts of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici on wheat in China
中国小麦条锈菌转主寄主小檗的鉴定

Pycnia and aecia were produced on Berberis shensiana, B. potaninii and B. dolichobotrys in Shaanxi Province after inoculation using germinating telia of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici. Wheat cultivar Mingxian 169 was inoculated with aeciospores produced from the inoculated B. shensiana, and resulted in typical uredia of P. striiformis on the wheat leaves. Analyses using polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequence confirmed the rust fungus as P. striiformis f. sp. tritici. Wheat Mingxian 169 inoculated using aeciospores from the rust-infected leaves of B. shensiana collected from fields, produced uredia typical of stripe rust. In natural conditions, therefore, it demonstrated barberries (Berberis spp.) not only serve as alternate hosts for stripe rust pathogen of wheat in China, but the pathogen of wheat stripe rust, P. striifromis f. sp. tritici, can also perform its sexual stage on Berberis spp. This finding will provide a more satisfactory interpretation for high level of genetic diversity and virulence variation, and a powerful support to improve strategies for a better control of wheat stripe rust in future studies in the country.