Question

Red rust of tea is due to
A. Rhizopus
B. Puccinia
C. Cephaleuros parasiticus Karst
D. Phytophthora

Answer 1

Hint:- Rhizopus is a saprophyte on plants. It belongs to Fungi. It mostly affects fruits and vegetables. Puccinia also belongs to Fungi. It is also a plant pathogen that is an obligate parasite causing rust. The green algae are known as Chlorophyta. Cephaleuros parasiticus is a plant pathogen that mostly affects commercial plants.

Complete Answer:-
Red rust is a disease caused by algae in Camellia sinensis. It is one of the most important diseases of the tea plant. Red rust is a common name given to it. It retards the growth of the tea plant in case of recurring infections. The yield is also affected to a great extent. Both old and young plants are severely affected by the algae. It is very common in India.
The name is given because the infection leads to the orange-red colouration of the leaves of the tea plant. The infected areas on the leaf appear like velvet.
Cephaleuros parasiticus karst belongs to the genus Cephaleuros. It is a green alga. It has 14 species. The organism has dichotomous branches. It also affects coffee, mango and guava apart from tea. They behave as parasites in woody plants. The algae prefer a warm and moist environment.

Red rust of tea is caused by Cephaleuros parasiticus karst, option (C).

Note:- The infection also kills new shoots of the plant and destroys its fruits. The algae are about 10mm in size. It belongs to the family Trentepohliceae. The organism also causes a leaf spot disease in rubber plants.