Multi-site flax rust epidemic monitoring

Knowledge graph centered on Multi-site flax rust epidemic monitoring with 55 nodes and 170 connections. Top connected: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Boechera stricta, Artemisia tridentata, Lupinus prunophilus.

Method synopsis

Weekly monitoring of flax rust disease prevalence across multiple wild flax populations to track epidemic progression and relate it to local environmental conditions over multiple growing seasons.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 2 papers using this protocol.

Procedure as described in the canonical source

Steps below were extracted from the paper that introduces this protocol — A multi-year case study highlighting the influence of hydrological conditions on epidemic dynamics in a natural plant pathosystem (2025), Oikos. Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Establish monitoring plots
   Four 200-m² plots were established spanning a large elevational gradient in the Rocky Mountains, with each plot containing naturally occurring flax populations
   Quantities: Four plots of 200 m² eachDuration: Established for five growing seasons (2019-2023)Conditions: Rocky Mountain elevational gradient
   Equipment: plot markers
2. Record diseased plants at season start
   At the beginning of each season, the number of diseased plants was recorded towards the beginning of the season
   Quantities: All diseased plants in each 200-m² plotDuration: Beginning of each growing seasonConditions: Early growing season
   Equipment: field recording materials
3. Conduct weekly disease surveys
   Every week, previously non-diseased plants were checked for new infections to track population-level epidemiological data and within-host disease progression data for several focal plants (~10% of each plant population)
   Quantities: ~10% of each plant population as focal plantsDuration: Weekly throughout growing season (mid-June to early-August)Conditions: Growing season conditions

Typical Equipment

• plot markers
• field recording materials

Output Measurements

• disease prevalence
• epidemic timing
• epidemic growth rates
• maximum epidemic prevalence

Papers Using This Protocol (2)

Species Studied With This Protocol

Places Where Used