South African Cereal Rusts, with Observations on the Problem of Breeding Rust-Resistant Wheats.

Abstract

History has little of note to relate regarding cereal rusts in South Africa. G. W. Thompson (1) in his Travels and Adventures in South Africa informs us that the wheat crops during 1708—1710 were severely attacked by rust. Theal (2) nevertheless maintains that rust in wheat was not known in the country before the year 1727, when the epidemic was so bad that the crops were almost a complete failure, although he states that rust in rye had been known before 1727. The year 1820, however, is reported as one notorious for the severity of the rust attack.