Emergence and Prevalence of Puccinia polysora in Korea: A Comparitive Study of Maize Rust Pathogens

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally important cereal crop, but rust diseases caused by Puccinia species increasingly threaten its production. In Korea, maize rust has historically been attributed to Puccinia sorghi; however, recent field observations have suggested the potential presence of Puccinia polysora. This study performed an integrative approach encompassing morphological, molecular, and physiological analyses to characterize maize rusts across different regions of Korea. Light and scanning electron microscopy revealed two distinct morphological groups, differentiated primarily by urediniospore size and shape. Phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit (LSU) rDNA, and cytochrome oxidase 3 (COX3) mtDNA sequences confirmed the two groups as P. polysora and P. sorghi. Notably, P. polysora is newly reported in Korea and was the prevalent species over P. sorghi among the collected samples. This study provides novel insights into the identification and epidemiology of maize rusts, contributing to improved disease forecasting and management strategies.