Rust of pea

Host: Pisum sativum (Pea)
Pathogen: uromyces viciae-fabae

Distribution

Rust disease is a major threat to the pea in North and South America, Europe, India, China, Australia and New Zealand. Disease reduces the photosynthetic area of leaf and can cause 57 to 100 % yield loss (Upadhyay and Singh, 1994).

Symptoms

Early symptoms appear in the form of minute, whitish, slightly raised spots on the stems, pods, and lower surface of the leaves. These spots enlarge, eventually rupture the epidermis producing reddish brown, irregular pustules. Initially powdery yellow to brown colored powdery urediospores are borne in the pustule. At the end of the season dark brown to black colored teliospores are produced.

Rust of pea
Leaves of pea showing pustules on the lower (abaxial) surface

Causal organism

According to Das et al. (2019), rust of pea in tropical and subtropical countries viz., India and China is caused by Uromycesviciae-fabae (Pers de Bary), whereas, in temperate countries viz., Spain, Canada and Egypt the disease is caused by U. pisi (Pers.) (Wint.). U. viciae-fabae is an autoecious pathogen, which completes its life cycle in single host. Pathogen attacks all aerial parts of the plant including pods.

Uromyces
Pustules showing uredospores

Disease cycle and epidemiology

The disease is favoured by mild temperature and humid conditions in the late springs. Temperature between 20 to 22°C and cloudy weather favor the disease.

Control measures

  • Pea should not be raised in the area, where infected lentil, faba bean are chickpea are reported.
  • Spray of fungicides like, mancozeb 0.25 % or Tridemorph 0.1 % effectively control the disease.
  • Seed should be treated with Agrosan (phenylmercury acetate).

Sources

  • Das, A., Parihar, A.K., Saxena, D., Singh, D., Singha, K.D., Kushwaha, K.P.S., Chand, R., Bal, R.S., Chandra, S. and Gupta, S., 2019. Deciphering genotype-by-environment interaction for targeting test environments and rust resistant genotypes in field pea (Pisum sativum L.). Frontiers in plant science, p.825.
  • Upadhyay, A.L. and Singh, V.K., 1994. Performance of pea varieties/lines against powdery mildew and rust. Indian J. Pulses Res, 7, pp.92-93.

Content first created on 11-02-2022
last updated on 08-03-2022