Monitoring rust spores in rain

In cooperation with the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National trends network (NADP), we have developed real-time PCR assays to detect spores of Puccinia graminis and Phakopsora pachyrhizi in rain.  The basic assay is easily adaptable to other rust fungi.  The work on the detection of P. graminis in rain utilized 19 NADP sites along the Puccinia Pathway in the wheat growing regions of the Great Plains states.  In 2005 and 2006, 110 NADP sites were monitored across the eastern half of the US for the soybean rust pathogen, P. pachyrhizi.  We have also developed and deployed an inexpensive and portable collector with an open top that collects wet and dry deposition.  This collector (JB collector) has been used to monitor for P. pachyrhizi in 25 Minnesota counties and the southern regions of Ontario Canada. 

Posters presented at national meetings:

• Detection of Puccinia graminis spores in rain using real-time PCR assay.
• Detection of Phakopsora pachyrhizi DNA in rain using qPCR and a portable rain collector.
• Comparison of 2005 and 2006 Phakopsora pachyrhizi spore rain trap data.