Diversity of Rust Fungi Causing Plant Diseases in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan

Abstract

In 2018, a survey of rust fungi and their associated hosts was attempted in the thandiani regions of Pakistan. In this paper, we provided descriptions and illustrations of six rust species viz. Melampsora euphorbiae, Phragmidium barclayi, Puccinia ambegua, Pucciniia calcitraipae, Pucciniia mentha and Puccinia ustalis. The Melampsora euphorbiae, Puccinia ambegua, and Puccinia ustalis were collected as a new host record from Abbottabad. Most of the rust fungi were collected from herbaceous wild plants. This study suggests further exploration of the area of rust disease in order to assess the diversity of these fungi. This research work is an addition to available data related to the Urediniales of Pakistan having special reference to Abbottabad District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.