pnut pnut Peanut Science 0095-3679 0095-3679 American Peanut Research and Education Society 10.3146/i0095-3679-21-2-1 Articles Effect of Temperature on Urediniospore Production and Germinability in Puccinia arachidis1 P. V. Subba Rao 2, P. Subrahmanyam 3, *, and D. McDonald 4 Post Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Biology, Univ. College London, Gower Street, London WClE 6 BT, UK Principal Scientist (Pathology), SADC/ICRISAT Groundnut Project, Chitedze Agric. Res. Stn., P.O. Box 1096, Lilongwe, Malawi Director (Crop Protection Division), ICRISAT Asia Center, Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh 502 324, India

1Submitted as Journal Article JA No. 1058 by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

 *Corresponding author. 7 1994 21 2 79 81 18 6 1994 American Peanut Research and Education Society 1994 American Peanut Research and Education Society Abstract

Effect of temperature on urediniospore production in Puccinia arachidis was investigated under monocyclic infection using detached leaves of the susceptible peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivar TMV 2. Urediniospores produced at different temperatures were also examined for their germinability in vitro. The optimal temperature for urediniospore production was at about 20 and 25 C. Temperatures below 20 C or above 30 C were highly detrimental to urediniospore production. There were also marked differences in the percent germination of urediniospores produced at different temperatures. Urediniospores produced at 20 and 25 C showed the highest germination percentages. The interaction of temperature with urediniospore production and germinability is important in understanding the development of peanut rust epidemics.

 Key Words Peanut; , groundnut; , Arachis hypogae; , rust; , Puccinia arachidis; , epidemiology