Rust diseases can strike at most times of the year but, like Botrytis and mildews which we featured in my last two blogs, they can be a particular problem in glasshouses and polytunnels during the colder months when it’s often a challenge to keep crops well ventilated and humidity under control.
Rusts are caused by a huge group of fungal pathogens. There are well over 150 genera, Puccinia being the most significant. Estimates of the number of species vary but run to many thousands. Most of them, however, are highly specialised, having evolved to grow on just one, or sometimes several, host plant species. They usually have highly complex life-cycles, needing two different host plant species to complete them in some cases and involving several different kinds of spores.
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https://www.syngentaornamentals.co.uk/blog/advisory-blog/rusts-under-restraint
