Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition

Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds

Heliconia rust (237)


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Summary

  • Widespread distribution. South America, Caribbean, Oceania. On Heliconia, wild and ornamental. An important disease of Heliconia used to wrap starchy puddings (laplap).
  • Faint yellow spots on the leaves between the veins from midrib to margin. Reddish brown spots below as spores form. Leaves decay from the margins.
  • Spread occurs as the spores are blown by wind.
  • Cultural control: avoid planting under shade; space plants allowing air circulation; routinely collect diseased leaves and burn.
  • Chemical control: unlikely to be economic, but if needed use copper or mancozeb (protectants); triazoles or strobilurins (eradicants).

Common Name

Heliconia rust

Scientific Name

Puccinia heliconiae. Also, known by an older name, Uredo heliconiae; a name that describes the type of spores produced by the rust.


AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Liberato JR, Ray JD, Ganua TG (2008) Puccinia heliconiae on Heliconia sp. in Papua New Guinea. Australian Plant Disease Notes 3(1):132-134. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315207379_Puccinia_heliconiae_on_Heliconia_sp_in_Papua_New_Guinea/link/59bb83d3a6fdcca8e55f9307/download)

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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