2010-06-232010-06-231973https://hdl.handle.net/10365/9803The topic is wheat leaf rust caused by the fungus Puccinia recondita Rob. ex. Desm. f. sp. tritici, which is potentially one of the most devastating foliar diseases of wheat in North Dakota. A leaf rust epidemic can seriously reduce the production of the North Dakota wheat crop. Large yearly losses from leaf rust have been avoided in North Dakota by growing leaf rust resistant varieties and using fungicide sprays. In order to develop and maintain leaf rust resistant wheat varieties for the North Dakota growers, studies must be conducted each year to determine the specific virulences of the predominant races of rust occurring in the state and to ascertain the reaction of the commonly grown varieties to these races. The article addresses such type of study conducted in 1972. Apparent change in the rust population suggests the need for continued cooperation between pathologists and plant breeders in testing, evaluating and screening breeding lines for resistance to both the predominant races as well as isolates from natural populations with unusual or new virulences.North Dakota State UniversityWheatPlant diseases and disordersArticle