HomeResearchWhite Rust of Spinach

White Rust of Spinach

tractor-drawn seeder and hand seeder in field.
Sowing spinach with a tractor-drawn seeder for fungicide evaluations and with a hand-seeder for variety evaluations.
Overview of spinach planting in field.
Overview of spinach planting with misting system used to provide favorable conditions for disease development.

This fungal disease was common and important on Long Island, and in the mid-Atlantic region, when research on its management was conducted during the 1990s.  It has not been observed or reported for many years.

This research was done in collaboration with vegetable pathologists in New Jersey and Delaware who conducted similar experiments.  Efficacy was determined for fungicides and resistant varieties.

Prepared April 2023.

 

Resistant varieties were documented to provide good suppression of white rust.

nontreated spinach plants in field with white rust symptoms
Severe white rust in a nontreated plot of the susceptible variety Seven R, 25 Oct 1996.
nontreated spinach leaves with white rust symptoms
Nontreated plants of susceptible variety Seven R (left) and resistant variety Fall Green (right), 21 Nov 1996.
nontreated spinach leaves with white rust symptoms
Leaves with white rust removed from nontreated plants of susceptible variety Seven R (left) and resistant variety Fall Green (right), 21 Nov 1996.

Several fungicides were documented to effectively control white rust.

spinach leaf with white rust symptoms
Leaf from nontreated susceptible variety Seven R, 25 Oct 1996.
spinach leaf with white rust symptoms
Leaf from susceptible variety Seven R treated with the fungicide Maneb (dithiocarbamate fungicide that was subsequently discontinued; mancozeb is a related fungicide), 25 Oct 1996.

Publications listed below have more information about research results summarized above, including table with results.  To download report click on publication year, which is year after study was done; all are available at Plant Disease Management Reports website.

  1. McGrath, M. T.  1998.  Comparison of fungicides and resistant varieties for control of white rust on spinach, 1997. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 53:234.

  2. McGrath, M. T.  1998.  Comparison of fungicides for control of white rust on spinach, 1997. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 53:237.

  3. McGrath, M. T.  1998.  Efficacy of genetic control and chemical control for managing white rust in spinach, 1996. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 53:235-6.

  4. McGrath, M. T.  1998.  Susceptibility to white rust and yield of spinach varieties, 1997. Biological and Cultural Tests 13:181.

  5. McGrath, M. T.  1999.  Efficacy of genetic control and chemical control for managing white rust in spinach, 1998. Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 54:236-237.