STUDIES ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF STRIPE RUST, 
PUCCINIA GEUMARUM (SCHM.) ERIKSS. & HENN.‘ 
By Charles W. Hungerford * 
Agent, Office of Cereal Investigations, Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture, and Plant Pathologist of the Idaho Agricultural Experiment 
Station 
INTRODUCTION 
Extensive study has been made in European countries on the seasonal 
occurrence of the so-called yellow rust, caused by Puccinia glumarum 
(Schm.) Erikss. & Henn, It has been held by a few investigators in 
Europe that the disease may be transmitted from year to year by means 
of infected grain and grass seeds. Very little research has been carried 
on to determine if this is possible. The possibility of transmission of 
this rust through infected seed has an especial significance in the United 
States, due to its limited geographic distribution. It has been found 
that stripe rust in the United States is limited in its distribution to the 
States of the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain regions. If the disease 
can be carried on the seed, grain shipped from the Western States into 
the Mississippi Valley might become a means of spreading the rust into 
the Spring vhieat Belt. 
It has been demonstrated by various workers that this rust can over¬ 
winter in the uredinial stage in central and northern Europe. It seemed 
important to know if this was true in the United States. Accordingly 
an investigation was undertaken, in cooperation with the Department of 
Plant Pathology of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station, in 1917^ 
to work out the life history of this fungus under western conditions. 
The investigation was transferred, in 1920, to Moscow^ Idaho, in coopera^ 
tion with the Department of Plant Pathology of the Idaho Agricultural 
Experiment Station. The conclusions herein reported are the results of 
these investigations. 
LIFE HISTORY STUDIES 
OVERWllSTTERING UREDINIA 
The aecial stage of this rust is unknown. Eriksson and Henning (J) 
were unable to find an aecial host for the rust, although they carried on- 
rather extensive cultural experiments. It has not been possible so far to 
work upon this phase of the problem in connection with the present 
investigations. There have been no indications noted in the field which 
would suggest that there is an aecial host for the rust in this country. 
It has been generally concluded by various authors in other countries- 
that Puccinia glumarum is able to overwinter in the uredinial stage. 
Biffen (j)^ states: 
The uredospore sta^e seems sufficient to enable the fungus to tine itself ov^r the- 
winter, for it is possible to find pustules of rust on the foliage of selfsown wheat or some- 
^ Accepted for publication Aus^. 31. 1932. These investigations were carried on in cooperation with thc' 
Oregon A^cultural Experiment Station and later the Idaho Aericiiltural Experiment Station under the 
direction of the Office of Cereal Investigations. United States Department of Agriculture. 
* The author wishes to thank Prof. C E. Owens for his hearty cooperation during the progr^s of thia^ 
work, and also to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. H. B. Humphrey, pr. A. G. Johnson, and Prof. H. P.- 
Barss for helpful suggestions on the research and in the preparation of the manuscript. 
* Reference is made by number (italic) to Literature cit^," p. 620. 
(607) 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Washington, D. C. 
aeg 
VOl. XXIV. No. 7 
May ig. 1933 
Key No. G-305 
