Dataset illustrating the disruptive impact of rainfall on the diurnal periodicity of airborne wheat rust spores under field conditions.

This dataset was collected in 1999 at INRAE Grignon (France) and is used to illustrate the disruptive impact of rainfall on the diurnal periodicity of airborne wheat rust spores under field conditions. Over more than two months, bi-hourly spore counts from Burkard traps were integrated with detailed meteorological data, revealing both seasonal and diurnal patterns. Rain data we also collected. Rain events either amplified spore concentrations—by up to 25-fold through a 'rain-puff' effect—or depletes them via ‘wash-out’ and ‘wash-off’. Rains events were classified into categories with distinct impacts: ‘precursor’ rains often trigger spore release, while ‘follower’ (and prolonged rains) reduce airborne spore concentrations. Moreover, differences in the dispersal dynamics of Pst and Pt were observed, and some were linked to how humidity and wind influence spore clustering.