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Article: Fuzzy leaves confuse fungi.
- Article from:
- Agricultural Research
- Article date:
- July 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Like snakes on the head of the mythical Greek Medusa, leafhairs on the surface of wheat and rye plants entangle and confuse germinating fungal spores. This protects these important grain crops from disease, say scientists at the ARS Cereal Rust Laboratory in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Puccinia recondita, a fungal disease of wheat and rye, infects thousands of acres of both crops each year and causes millions of dollars in crop losses, says plant pathologist David Long. The fungus is called a rust because it discolors leaves and makes diseased plants appear as though they are oxidizing, or rusting.
Based on pioneering work by ARS plant pathologist John Roberts, who ...