After months of collecting and analysing, the results of the 2015 Powdery Mildew Survey are in! See the complete species list here and a small commentary relating these results to the UK powdery mildew baseline here.
Contributors to the scheme will shortly be receiving their individually tailored summaries of samples sent in to the scheme here at the University of Reading.
I have tried to keep results simple and exciting as far as possible. However some terms and language used in the responses may be unfamiliar. As such please see the additional glossary post.
We have received 353 samples to date (7/12/2015), a two-fold improvement from the inaugural 2014 survey, when 92.5% of samples (148 of 160) were accurately identified to genus level and 78.8% (126 of 160) were accurately identified to species level.
This year I felt the rate of satisfactory identifications would have reduced as I become more cynical with species concepts and boundaries. Of the 353 samples I have been able to exclude 15 samples sent in as they were not powdery mildews. Of the remaining 338 samples, 319 (94.4%) were identified to genus level and 268 (79.3%) were identified to species level.
These proportions remain similar to those of 2014! Therefore although I am becoming more cynical, it seems my work is becoming more accurate.
I look forward to receiving more samples in 2016 and refining my identification techniques further! Thanks to all who have contributed or have been interested in Fungi, powdery mildew, and citizen science here at the University of Reading, the Royal Horticultural Society, or anywhere else!
Golovinomyces species of powdery mildew found in the University of Reading Harris Garden on Monarda
Pingback: Powdery Mildew Survey 2016 | Culham Research Group