Question

“Red rust of tea” is caused by parasitic
(a)Algae
(b)Fungi
(c)Bacteria
(d)Bryophyte

Answer 1

Hint: Red rust is an important disease of the tea plant in which orange-brown, velvety spots develop on the leaves of infected plants.

Complete answer : Red rust disease of tea is caused by algae of the genus Cephaleuros. Cephaleuros is a genus of parasitic simple green algae consisting of fourteen species. Its common name is red rust. Hence the disease caused by it is termed as red rust disease. The alga is parasitic on a few significant economic plants of tropical and subtropical types such as tea, coffee, mango, and guava. The disease causes damage which is limited to the area of algal growth on leaves, or destroying new shoots, or deforming fruit. Infections begin when a spore of the algae lands on the plant surface, germinates, and then penetrates its host.

Treatment:
-Use rust-resistant plant varieties when available.
-Pluck off and immediately burn infected leaves and regularly rake under plants to clean all fallen debris.
-Water during the early morning periods to allow the plants to dry out during the day to prevent infection.
-Use copper sprays or sulfur powders to inhibit the infection of susceptible plants. For best results, administer at the first sign of disease. Spray all plant parts completely and repeat the cycle every 7-10 days till the day of harvest.
-Burn infected plants after the growing season and do not compost.

So, the correct answer is “algae”.

Notes: Phenological studies showed that the frequency of the disease changed in different biological niches in the tea ecosystem. The factors determining its dominance were observed to be: the topography of plantation, jats or clones of tea, life and strength of the plant, and other environmental conditions.