Rust
Class: Fungi
Common Name
Rust
Scientific name
Different fungi from the order Pucciniales
Potential Hosts
Bean, soy, pea, lemongrass, ornamental trees, shrubs and small plants, maple, wheat, barley, and oregano
Who am I?
Rust fungi, as the name implies, creates symptoms that are yellow to orange-brown or rust colored on the top side of infected leaves. Many species of rust fungi exist; each one favors a particular range of weather conditions and hosts, but most fungi need a layer of standing water on leaf surfaces in order to cause an infection.
Rust fungi only live on and infect living tissues. The symptoms are more likely to appear on leaves, petioles, tender shoots, and stem.
Rust fungi have easily wind-dispersed spores that put them among the most mobile plant pathogens around the world.
Control measures
Cultural
The sooner the better: It’s easier and more cost effective to overcome infestation by controlling rust in its initial stage. Make it a routine to monitor the field regularly and search plants for the presence of rusty-like symptoms on a weekly basis.
Maintain adequate space: Avoid overdensity planting in order to allow light to penetrate and promote the quick drying of leaves and fruits on humid days.
Sanitation: Remove plant debris and make an effort to keep your field and its surroundings as clean as possible.
Improve air circulation: Promote drying foliage by shortening the duration of wetting periods and introducing net curtain vented areas.
Other moisture reduction techniques include covering the ground with polyethylene sheets to reduce evaporation from the soil.
Conventional (chemical)
The following are fungicides used in one or more parts of the world: propiconazol, myclobotanil, and tebuconzole.
Organic
Products based on tea tree oil and neem oil.
Caution and careful notice should be taken when using any plant protection products (insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides). It is the grower’s sole responsibility to keep track of the legal uses and permissions with respect to the laws in their country and destination markets. Always read the instructions written on labels, and in a case of contradiction, work in accordance to the product label. Keep in mind that information written on the label usually applies to local markets. Pest control products intended for organic farming are generally considered to be less effective in comparison to conventional products. When dealing with organic, biologic, and to some extent a small number of conventional chemical products, a complete eradication of a pest or disease will often require several iterations of a specific treatment or combination of treatments.