THE STRUCTURE OF WHEAT LEAF RUST PATHOGEN POPULATIONS AT THE CIS (FORMER USSR) TERRITORY .5. POPULATION-AREAS AND DIRECTIONS OF SPORE MIGRATION

We studied the structure of Puccinia recondita Rob. ex Desm. f. sp. tr itici populations at the territory of Russia and neighbouring countrie s (the former USSR) in 1988-1993. The methods of comparison of phenoty pe Frequency distribution and index of similarity between population s amples from different geographical points were used. The pathogen phen otypes were determined with original set of differentials consisting o f 9 wheat genotypes. The uredinial spores were collected in localities of Europe (24) of the Caucasus (5) and Asia (8). In a whole, 2479 pat hogen isolates were studied. High degree of similarity was discovered in European group of population samples as well as in Caucasus and Asi an groups. However between European and Asian groups and between Asian and Caucasus groups the similarity was low or in some years was absen t. The similarity between Caucasus and European groups of samples in 1 988 was low.