The soybean rust is caused by two species: Phakopsora pachyrhizi e P. meibomiae. In Brazil this diseases has been responsible for great losses in the production of soybean in the last years. The distribution of the disease and identification of the prevalent species in the producing areas in Brazil became necessary to guide the planning control measures. The molecular characterization based on PCR has been showing as useful tool to satisfy that need. In this study 86 samples of leaves infected by Phakopsora from the main areas producing soybean in the State of Minas Gerais (Triângulo, Alto Paranaíba, Noroeste, Sudoeste and Sul) were used. The extraction of DNA was made by the method of CTAB. For the polimerase chain reaction, specific primers were used for each species, been primer Ppm1/Ppa2 specific for P. pachyrhizi and Ppm1/Pme2 specific for P. meibomiae. The results showed that the 86 samples belonged to the species P. pachyrhizi, agent causal of the "Asian" rust. In other words, there was the production of bands specific from the group primer Ppm1/Ppa2 with approximate size of 141 pairs of bases. These results show that the species Phakopsora present in 100% of the areas analyzed in the State of Minas Gerais was P. pachyrhizi. This information is important to guide futures breeding programs for resistance to the agent of soybean rust in the State.
PCR; Phakopsora pachyrhizi; survey
