Myrtle Rust – Austropuccinia psidii - in South Africa
Myrtle Rust – Austropuccinia psidii - in South Africa
Please keep an eye out for fungi on Myrtaceae. If you are interested, please join:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/myrtle-rust-in-southern-africa
It appears that the following plants may be affected in southern Africa from iNaturalist. This is a subset of those known to be susceptible:
Eugenia 2
Eugenia capensis 3
Myrtus 10 observations (in cultivation)
Unknown: 3 (Milkwood?)
See below, this is an Australian project on the invasive myrtle rust, Austropuccinia psidii. I am sure I have heard from you or others that it is having a serious impact on Eugenia spp along the KZN coast. Could you please send out to your network that people please put sightings onto iNaturalist. This will help not only the Australians, but also us by providing SA workers with publically accessible distribution and severity data on this serious invader.
regards
Alan Wood
PPRI
Subject: Myrtle Rust Distribution
Sent: Friday, 12 January 2024 08:50
We are currently revising climate suitability modelling for myrtle rust – Austropuccinia psidii – with a particular focus on the threat to the mediterranean and tropical regions of Western Australia.
In doing so, we are pulling together a comprehensive myrtle rust distribution record, and we are keen to include locations from South Africa given it also has a Mediterranean climate in the Cape.
To date we have limited reliable distribution records, all from iNaturalist, that boil down to only a few locations:
Would any of you know where we might be able to access more distribution data for South Africa that we could use to help develop and validate our models?
Noting that there were definitely locations identified in: Roux et al. (2016). "A unique genotype of the rust pathogen, Puccinia psidii, on Myrtaceae in South Africa." Australasian Plant Pathology 45(6): 645-652.
We are interested in any occurrence record – natural/garden records to help build the model and nursery associations/interception records to help understand relative pest pressure/risks.
Kind regards,
Kylie Ireland
Plant Diseases Program Leader | Ecosystem Health Branch | Kensington
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
0447 353 953 | kylie.ireland@dbca.wa.gov.au
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