title: Melampsora rust species on biomass willows in central and north-eastern Germany.
abstract: Melampsora willow rusts are the most important fungal pathogens in short rotation coppices of biomass willows. In the past, breeding programmes for rust resistant biomass willows concentrated on the distinction of races within the forma specialis Melampsora larici-epitea f. sp. larici-epitea typica that colonized Salix viminalis and related clones. In a new breeding program that is based on a wider range of willow species it is necessary to identify further Melampsora species and formae specialis that are pathogens of willow species other than S. viminalis. Therefore, three stock collections with Salix daphnoides, Salix purpurea, and other shrub willow species (including S. viminalis) species were sampled in north-eastern Germany. A fourth stock collection in central Germany contributed rusts of tree willows (Salix fragilis and Salix alba) and the large shrub Salix caprea. Out of 156 rust samples, 149 were successfully sequenced for ITS rDNA. A phylogenetic analysis combining Neighbour-Joining, Maximum-Likelihood and Bayesian analysis revealed six species: Melampsora ribesii-purpureae, Melampsora allii-salicis-albae, Melampsora sp. aff. allii-fragilis, Melampsora larici-pentandrae, Melampsora larici-caprearum, and Melampsora larici-epitea. The first four species were found exclusively on the expected hosts. Melampsora larici-caprearum had a wider host range comprising S. caprea and S. viminalis hybrids. Melampsora larici-epitea can be further differentiated into two formae speciales. The forma specialis larici-epitea typica (59 samples) colonized Salix viminalis clones, Salix purpurea, Salix×dasyclados, and Salix×aquatica. In contrast to this relatively broad host range, f. sp. larici-daphnoides (65 samples) was found exclusively on Salix daphnoides. With the distinction and identification of the rust species/formae speciales it is now possible to test for race-specific resistances in a more targeted manner within the determined pairings of rust and willow species.
authors.affiliation: Thünen-Institute of Forest Genetics, Eberswalder Chaussee 3 A, 15377 Waldsieversdorf, Germany. Electronic address: ben.bubner@ti.bund.de.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bubner
authors.affiliation: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Life Sciences, Division Urban Plant Ecophysiology, Lentzeallee 55, 14195 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: s_wunder88@web.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wunder
authors.affiliation: Thünen-Institute of Forest Genetics, Eberswalder Chaussee 3 A, 15377 Waldsieversdorf, Germany. Electronic address: irmtraut.zaspel@ti.bund.de.
authors.forename: Irmtraut
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zaspel
authors.affiliation: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Life Sciences, Division Urban Plant Ecophysiology, Lentzeallee 55, 14195 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: matthias.zander@agrar.hu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zander
authors.affiliation: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Life Sciences, Division Urban Plant Ecophysiology, Lentzeallee 55, 14195 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: jan.gloger@agrar.hu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gloger
authors.affiliation: Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Prof.-Oelkers-Str. 6, 34346 Hann. Münden, Germany. Electronic address: steffen.fehrenz@NW-FVA.de.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fehrenz
authors.affiliation: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Life Sciences, Division Urban Plant Ecophysiology, Lentzeallee 55, 14195 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: christian.ulrichs@agrar.hu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ulrichs
mesh_terms: D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005858:Germany; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D058974:Phylogeography; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D032108:Salix / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
keywords: Host range; ITS rDNA sequences; Phylogeny; Salix daphnoides; Short rotation coppice (SRC)