Physical and chemical considerations for successful <i>in vitro</i> culture of rust fungi: challenges, insights and novel strategies

Rust fungi cause significant economic and biodiversity losses worldwide, yet effective control strategies for them remain limited. A major challenge in identifying control targets is the inability to culture them through the different stages of their life cycle in the laboratory, thereby restricting their study. Current research suggests that a complex interplay of physical and chemical plant properties influences rust fungal infection, and successful culture protocols likely need to incorporate multiple aspects of the plant host environment into an artificial system. These include plant surface moisture, charge, hardness, hydrophobicity, topography, texture and chemical make-up. This review outlines key plant characteristics that influence infection by rust fungi, examines attempts to replicate these characteristics<i>in vitro</i>, and assesses the level of success. We conclude by proposing a potential culture approach that integrates inoculation methods, media composition, physical properties of media, chemical additives, and environmental conditions.