Environmental stability of partial resistance in spring wheat to wheat leaf rust

Summary Five spring wheat cultivars differing in partial resistance (PR) to wheat leaf rust were tested at Wageningen (the Netherlands) on a sandy and a clay site, El Batan (CIMMYT, Mexico) and Ponta Grossa (Brazil) over two years. The cultivars were Skalavatis 56, Little Club (both very susceptible), Westphal 12A, Akabozu and BH 1146 (all three with high levels of PR). The results showed that PR was expressed at all four locations in both years. The level of expression was influenced by the environment but the cultivar ranking was hardly affected. Selection for PR in the field can therefore be carried out over a wide range of environments.     

Quantitative resistance and its components in 16 barley cultivars to yellow rust, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia striiformis</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">hordei</Emphasis>

Sixteen barley cultivars with a susceptible infection type (IT = 7–8) in the seedling stage to an isolate of race 24 of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei were planted at two locations in México. Disease severity (DS) parameters were assessed for the flag leaf and for the upper three leaves. The cultivars represented at least five levels of quantitative resistance ranging from very susceptible to quite resistant. “Granado”, “Gloria/Copal” and “Calicuchima-92” represented the most resistant group and had an IT of 7 or 8. The cultivar × environment interaction variance, although significant, was very small compared with the cultivar variance. The disease severity parameters were highly correlated. The monocyclic parameter DS_m, measured when the most susceptible cultivar had reached its maximum DS, was very highly correlated with the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), r being 0.98. Components of quantitative resistance were evaluated in two plant stages. In the seedling stage small cultivar effects for the latency period were observed, which were not correlated with the quantitative resistance measured in the field. In the adult plant stage the latency period (LP), infection frequency (IF) and colonization rate (CR) were measured in the upper two leaves. The LP was much longer than in the seedling stage and differed strongly between cultivars. The differences in IF were too large, those in CR varied much less. The components showed association with one another. The LP and IF were well correlated with the AUDPC (r = 0.7–0.8). †Deceased     

Influence of development stage and host genotype on three components of partial resistance to leaf rust in spring wheat

Summary Latency period (LP), infection frequency (IF) and urediosorus size (US) of leaf rust were determined on primary leaves and young flag leaves of 18 spring wheat cultivars. A large growth stage effect and a large cultivar effect on all three components were observed. Partial resistance as measured by the three components was generally better expressed in the adult plant stage than in the seedling stage. Associated variation of the components was observed: long LP, low IF and small US tended to go together. The association was not complete, cultivars with clear deviations of this association for one of the components were found suggesting the existence of at least partly different genetic factors controlling the respective components. LP measured on flag leaves gave the most reliable results and, therefore, could best be used as a selection criterion in breeding programs for partial resistance.     

Characterization of the durable resistance to yellow rust in old winter wheat cultivars in the Netherlands

Summary Winter wheat cultivars released in the Netherlands before 1930 carried durable resistance to yellow rust. Cultivars released in the period between 1930 and 1950 often were durably resistant while recent cultivars infrequently showed durable resistance. This durable resistance was not difficult to transfer to new cultivars. Twenty nine older cultivars with durable resistance and eight recent non-durably resistant cultivars were tested in the seedling stage and in the adult plant stage against 12 West-European yellow rust races and against some non-European races in the seedling stage only. The adult plant tests were carried out in race nursery tests in the Flevopolder. Per race nursery all 37 cultivars, planted in hills of about 20 plants on both sides of the highly susceptible cv. Michigan Amber, were exposed to one race.The infection type of each cultivar-race combination was scored on 0 to 9 scale once in the seedling stage and twice in the adult plant stage. In the race nurseries the percentage leaf area affected was evaluated three times to be used to calculate the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). This AUDPC multiplied with the mean infection type in the field gave the susceptibility index (SI).The infection types were classified into resistant (R), intermediate (I) or susceptible (S) when the infection types were 0 to 3, 4 to 6 or 7 to 9, respectively. Four categories of resistance were discerned on the basis of the three infection type scores: 1) RRR, overall resistance; complete or near-complete resistant at all stages. 2) SRR, adult plant resistance, complete- or near-complete resistant at the adult plant stage only. 3) SRS and SSR, temperature sensitive resistance, the resistance changed from the one evaluation data to the other. 4) SSS and an SI lower than that of Michigan Amber, partial resistance.The frequencies of overall, adult plant and temperature sensitive resistance were 1.4, 52 and 54% in the older cultivars and 40, 62 and 22% in the recent ones, respectively. Among the older cultivars all had a fair to high level of partial resistance, the SI being on average only 20% of that of Michigan Amber, while most cultivars also seemed to carry temperature sensitive resistance. The partial resistance of the recent cultivars was of a much lower level with a mean SI compared to that of Michigan Amber of 61%. Partial resistance was highly correlated (r = –0.94) with the mean resistance scores from the Dutch Recommended Cultivars Lists. It was concluded that partial resistance and temperature sensitive resistance were the major components of the durable resistance in the older cultivars.     

Effects of inoculum density and temperature on three components of leaf rust resistance controlled by Lr34 in wheat

Summary Different inoculum densities had negligible effects on latent period, uredinium density and uredinium size measured on flag leaves of adult RL6058 (Thatcher^*6/PI58548[Lr34]) plants kept at low (17.5°C) post-infection temperatures in a glasshouse. In a qualitative assessment of rust severity at higher (24.6°C) temperatures, all three components of resistance indicated a susceptible flag leaf response on RL6058. In the latter environment, precise estimations of receptivity to different inoculum densities showed that adult RL6058 plants supported significantly less pustules than the leaf rust-susceptible cultivar Thatcher. In tillering plants, statistically equal numbers of uredinia developed on RL6058 and Thatcher in all paired temperature-inoculum density combinations. Growth stage-related susceptibility, and higher temperatures conducive to a shorter latent period and larger uredinia, could result in high terminal severities of Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici on wheat genotypes containing Lr34. The reduction in receptivity associated with this gene may contribute, however, to delayed disease increase on cultivars or lines with monogenic Lr34 resistance.     

Components of rust resistance in lentil

Four components of resistance to Uromyces viciae-fabae, namely, latent period (LP), infection efficiency (IE), pustule size (PS) and spore production (SP) were evaluated on lentil (Lens culinaris) in glasshouse experiments. Four cultivars, Gudo, R-186, FLIP-87-66L and FLIP-89-60L, with different levels of resistance, and the susceptible check EL-142, were included in this study. The cultivars were also compared for area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), area under the pustule density curve (APDC), apparent infection rate (r_G), disease severity (DS), pustule density (PD), LP and PS under field conditions. Gudo and R-186 had significantly smaller and fewer pustules, lower spore yield and longer latent period than EL-142. FLIP-87-66L was intermediate for infection efficiency and pustule size. In addition, significant differences were found between cultivars for AUDPC, APDC, DS and r_G. Estimates of AUDPC, APDC, DS and r_G were reduced in Gudo, R-186 and FLIP-87-66L compared with the susceptible check EL-142. FLIP-89-60L also showed low AUDPC, APDC and DS. Some of the components obtained in the field were significantly correlated with each other (r = 0.92–0.99, P 0.05) and those measured in the glasshouse. Most of the components studied in the glasshouse were significantly (P 0.05) correlated with AUDPC and DS. Data indicated the existence of incomplete [partial (PR)] resistance in the test cultivars, and the possibility of using IE, LP, SP and PS as selection criteria in the evaluation of PR to rust in lentil. Since there was an interdependence of the components, selection based on more than one component should help obtain lines with higher levels of PR. The AUDPC, DS and r_G could also be used for selecting lines with PR in the field.     

Mature plant resistance of barley to barley leaf rust,another type of resistance

Summary Seedling and flag leaves of three barley cultivars were simultaneously inoculated with urediospores of barley leaf rust, race 1-2-1, and incubated at the same greenhouse bench. The inoculated leaves were harvested before urediospore formation was initiated. The volume of a large number of colonies was estimated by measuring colony area and colony depth by embedding the colony containing leaf segments into paraffin for microtome cutting. The colony volume was considerably smaller in flag leaves than in seedling leaves even in the extremely susceptible cultivar. On average the difference was about tenfold.     

Effect of leaf age on components of partial resistance in rice to leaf blast

Summary Ten rice genotypes were inoculated with a virulent isolate of Magnaporthe grisea to study the effect of leaf age on components of partial resistance, and evaluate associations between these components. The number of sporulating lesions per cm² leaf declined with increase of leaf age in all genotypes. The number of lesions per cm² leaf area in one week old leaves was about 25% that of the number in very young leaves in the susceptible cultivar CO39, but less than 2% in the more resistant cultivars IR36, IR60 and IR62. Large differences between genotypes were found for the number of sporulating lesions that developed, and this factor was closely related to the period that leaves remained susceptible after appearance. The number of lesions in the most susceptible cultivar CO39 was about 7 times that in the cultivars IR60 and IR64. Differences between genotypes were also found for lesion size. The effect of aging on average lesion size was less pronounced than on lesion density. Lesion size and lesion density were positively correlated, but a rapid decline of density was not necessarily accompanied by a rapid decline of size. No apparent differences between genotypes were observed for latent period. Genotypes with leaves that became highly resistant soon after appearance expressed higher levels of partial resistance in the field.     

Components of partial resistance to Leptosphaeria nodorum among seven soft red winter wheats

Summary Seven soft red winter wheat cultivars were evaluated for partial resistance to Leptosphaeria nodorum under field conditions. The results demonstrate that resistance is available among cultivars that are adapted to the southeastern U.S. and that resistance is long lasting. Resistant cultivars had longer incubation and latent periods, slower rates of lesion development, and reduced the level of sporulation of L. nodorum. Seedlings of susceptible cultivars sustained severe disease with dew periods as short as 48 hr in greenhouse tests. One resistant cultivar sustained little damage with dew period as long as 144 hr.Latent period was shortest on the second leaf below the flag leaf (F-2 leaf) of all cultivars and longest on the flag leaf which reflected the effect of microclimate and leaf age. The range in length of latent period on the flag, F-1, and F-2 leaves of resistant cultivars was less than that for susceptible cultivars. Differences between cultivars were greatest (up to 6.8 days) for the F-2 leaf. A delay in production of inoculum on the F-2 and lower leaves of resistant cultivars should delay infection of the flag leaf and spike.The greatest differentiation among cultivars for sporulation of L. nodorum was on upper leaves at Feekes growth stage 11.2. Oasis consistently had less sporulation than other cultivars at all sampling dates and leaf positions. The rate of disease progress up the plant (disease severity) and area under the disease progress curve were also least on Oasis.There were significant correlations among components of resistance and associated components suggesting that a single or interrelated mechanisms control expression of resistance. Overall, Oasis was the most resistant cultivar followed by Coker 762 and Coker 747. There cultivars have remained resistant for ten or more years. Stacy was intermediate in resistance and was the most variable of the seven cultivars for the components tested. Holley, Omega 78, and Florida 301 were highly susceptible by all criteria tested. Plant height was not a factor in resistance. The resistant cultivars are mostly later in maturity than the susceptible cultivars. In this study, crop maturity was similar under existing environmental conditions during the two seasons when most data were collected.     

Influence of post-infection temperature on three components of partial resistance in wheat to wheat leaf rust

Summary Three components of partial resistance (PR) were studied at three post-infection temperatures using seven spring wheat genotypes differing in level of PR and two different wheat leaf rust races. The components were latency period (LP), infection frequency (IF) and urediosorus size (US). The expression of LP was more sensitive to temperature than the expression of the other two components. LP-prolonging genes were better expressed at low temperatures than at high temperatures and cultivar differences tended to increase with decreasing temperature in both seedling and adult plant stages. The reaction of IF to temperature differed from that of LP and US, probably because IF is regulated by another mechanism than LP and US.It is recommended to perform PR-screening tests at low rather than at high temperatures. If temperatures are maintained at about 8–13°C (night-day), seedlings can be used to screen for PR instead of the more expensive adult plant tests.The effectiveness of PR in seedling stage at low temperatures suggests that the seedling stage may have epidemiological significance as the low temperatures (8–13°C) are relevant for seedlings in the field.     

Race-specific aspects of partial resistance in wheat to wheat leaf rust,Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici

Summary Partial resistance (PR) in wheat to wheat leaf rust (Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici) is characterized by a slow epidemic build-up despite a susceptible infection type. Two greenhouse tests and two field tests, in which 11 spring wheat cultivars were exposed to five wheat leaf rust races, revealed some indication for race-specificity of PR.In the greenhouse, the expression of PR was highly dependent on the environment. Significant cultivar-race interactions in the first experiment were lost in the second experiment probably due to cultivar-environment and cultivar-race-environment interactions.In the polycyclic field tests several factors played a role in explaining the inconsistency of the cultivar-race interactions, such as differences in initial inoculum, genotypic differences in earliness, interplot interference or environmental conditions.One cultivar-race combination showed a significant but small interaction towards susceptibility in both field experiments. The interaction was probably too small to detect in the monocyclic greenhouse tests. The results do not conflict with the idea that a gene-for-gene relationship could exist between PR-genes in the host and genes in the pathogen.Some problems with regard to the selection of PR in wheat to wheat leaf rust are discussed.     

QTL controlling partial resistance to Stagonospora nodorum leaf blotch in winter wheat cultivar Alba

Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) is an important foliar and glume disease in cereals. Inheritance of SNB resistance in wheat appears quantitative. The development of partially resistant cultivars seems to be the only effective way to combat the pathogen. Partial resistance components like length of incubation period (INC), disease severity (DIS) and length of latent period (LAT) were evaluated on a population of doubled-haploids derived from a cross between the partially resistant cultivar Alba and the susceptible cultivar Begra. Experiments were conducted in controlled environments and the fifth leaf was examined. Molecular analyses were based on bulked segregant analyses (BSA) and screening with 240 microsatellites DNA markers. The QTL analysis revealed QTL on chromosome 6AL (designated as QSnl.ihar-6A) and putative QTL on chromosome 6D. The QSnl.ihar-6A accounted for 36% of the phenotypic variance for DIS and 14% for INC. The putative QTL accounted for 10% of the variability in INC and 8% of DIS components of SNB resistance.     

Components of adult plant resistance to leaf rust in wheat

Summary Winter wheat genotypes were tested for resistance in the field by assessing the percentage sporulating leaf area after infection with wheat leaf rust. The disease level in the first field trial was too low for selection. In the second field trial a low sporulating leaf area was found on several genotypes showing a susceptible infection type. These genotypes possibly have partial resistance. Six genotypes possibly possess adult plant resistance, as they showed a resistant infection type and a low sporulating leaf area.The latency period, infection frequency and uredosorus size of sixteen genotypes were determined in the greenhouse after infection with two races of leaf rust at two temperature regimes. The temperature × genotype interaction, found for latency period and infection frequency, was mostly influenced by the cultivars Cerco, Tundra and Miller. Adult plant resistance was postulated for four genotypes whereas another four appeared to have partial resistance.Only one of the sixteen genotypes (Apexal) possessed adult plant resistance and two genotypes (Arminda and Cappelle Desprez) showed partial resistance in the field as well as in the greenhouse.     

The effect of pre- and post-inoculation temperature on resistance in certain cultivars of poplar to races of Melampsora larici-populina kleb.

Summary Four cultivars of Populus spp., compatible to varying degrees with four races of M. larici-populina Kleb., were raised in a controlled environment on a high (28°/20°C, day/night) and low (20°/10°C) temperature regime. Leaf discs cut from the plants were inoculated separately with four individual races of M. laricipopulina and subsequently incubated at either low (20°C) or high (25°C) temperature for 14 days when disease development on the discs was assessed using three parameters (Incubation period to flecking, uredia per leaf disc and uredospores per mm²). The degree of resistance in all cultivar/race combinations was high on cultivars cultured at a high temperature regime compared to those cultured on a low temperature regime. Analysis of variance demonstrated that the major components: pre-inoculation temperature regime, post-inoculation temperature regime, race and cultivar, and most second and third order interactions between these were highly significant (P<0.001) for most disease parameters. The variance of the temperature components and all interactions involving these were usually higher than those for the cultivar and race components and those interactions lacking temperature components.These results emphasize the importance of the temperature regime at which plants are raised and the temperature of incubation, following the inoculation in determining the relative degree of resistance of these cultivars of poplar to races of M. larici-populina. The implications of these results in the epidemiology of leaf rust and the stability of the host-parasite relationship are discussed.     

Partial resistance to anthracnose in Brazilian land races of dry beans shows race specificity

Summary Fifty-four land races of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), indigenous to areas of Brazil where anthracnose (caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum) is a common problem, were evaluated in field nurseries for partial resistance to race Brazilian 1 (B1) of C. lindemuthianum using symptom severity classes (SSC) from 0 to 6. Plants were selected if symptoms were present and the SSC was less than the 95% confidence interval of the mean SSC of the susceptible cultivar Carioca. S₁ progeny from selected plants were evaluated in air-conditioned chambers for partial resistance to races B1, delta, and kappa of C. lindemuthianum. Of 246 S₁ families evaluated, 145 families were partially resistant to one or two of the races [symptoms present, but S₁ family mean significantly (p<0.05) less than the mean of Carioca] and susceptible to the third. Six families were partially resistant to all three races. The remaining families were either susceptible or segregated for reaction to race B1. Partial resistance to C. lindemuthianum showed race specificity in the air-conditioned chambers and field nurseries.     

The importance of abortive stoma penetration in the partial resistance and nonhost reaction of adult barley and wheat plants to leaf rust fungi

Summary Early stages of the infection process of Puccinia hordei isolate 1.2.1 and of a P. recondita f.sp. tritici isolate were studied on adult plants of four barley lines and one wheat line. Two of the barley lines are extremely susceptible to P. hordei, the other two have a very high level of partial resistance.A histological study based on a trypan blue staining indicated that stoma penetration by P. hordei isolate 1.2.1 was equally successful on the susceptible as on the partially resistant adult barley plants. Abortion of substomatal vesicles was rare in all lines. These results do not support a hypothesis that mechanisms of partial resistance in adult plants differ from those in seedlings by a substantial abortive stoma penetration.Also in the nonhost combinations wheat-P. hordei and barley-P. recondita f.sp. tritici inhibition of stoma penetration and of substomatal vesicle development appears to play a biologically insignificant role in adult plants.The proportion of stoma penetration on the leaf sheaths of two of the barley lines was as high as on the leaf blades of the flag leaf and the leaf below the flag leaf. There was no evidence for stomatal exclusion as a crucial factor in the relatively low infectibility of leaf sheaths to leaf-blade specialized rust species.     

The inheritance of host plant effect on latency period of wheat leaf rust in spring wheat. I: Estimation of gene action and number of effective factors in F1, F2 and backcross generations

Summary Crosses were made between the highly susceptible Little Club and the partially resistant cultivars Westphal 12A, Akabozu and BH 1146 to obtain F1, F2 and backcross generations. Latency period (LP) was determined in plants inoculated at the young flag leaf stage with a monospore culture of race Flamingo of wheat leaf rust. Broad sense heritability of LP in the F2 averaged 0.8. The genes showed partial to almost complete recessive inheritance. Scaling tests indicated that additive gene action was the most important factor in the inheritance of partial resistance. The tests showed that there were no indications for additive x additive, additive x dominance or dominance x dominance interactions. The number of effective factors was estimated as one or two for Akabozu, three or more for Westphal 12A, and two or three for BH 1146. BH 1146 also possessed a (semi-)dominant gene for a lower infection type which was temperature sensitive in its expression. The genes of the various parents had unequal effect on LP.     

Partial resistance of barley to leaf rust,Puccinia hordei. V. Analysis of the components of partial resistance in eight barley cultivars

Summary Eight spring barley cultivars, respresenting the known range in partial or slow rusting resistance to leaf rust, Puccinia hordei, were investigated for their effects on the components of partial resistance; infection frequency, latent period, infectious period and spore production per uredosorus per day. Considerable variation was observed among the cultivars for each of the components. The cultivar effects on the components tend to be associated. Cultivar L94 for instance, shows the highest infection frequency, the shortest latent period and a long infectious period. Julia and Vada both have a low infection frequency, a long latent period and a low spore production per sorus per day. This association, though, is only a partial one.The total spore production per unit leaf area (the combined result of the four components) appeared highly correlated with the partial resistance in the field (r=0.85). Only a relatively small portion of the variation in partial resistance cannot be explained by the four components studied. Several other aspects, which might affect the rate of epidemic development, are discussed.Latent period, measuring the onset of the new spore production, estimated partial resistance as well as total spore production did (r=–0.85). In order to evaluate the partial resistance of barley genotypes in the greenhouse the latent period is preferred above total spore production as it is measured more easily, more accurately and sooner after inoculation.     

Genetic control of Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) resistance in wheat accession PI 47545

The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), is a major pest of cereal crops in many areas of the world, causing serious reduction in grain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Incorporating genetic resistance to D. noxia into wheat cultivars is paramount to effectively reduce damage inflicted by this pest. Genetic resistance to D. noxia has been identified in wheat, barley and rye germplasm, and several resistance genes are available for use for cultivar improvement. In the United States of America, only a few Russian wheat aphid (RWA) resistant winter wheat cultivars are currently available, and these cultivars contain only one of the six known RWA resistance genes. The objective of this study was to determine the inheritance of RWA resistance in wheat accession PI 47545, using a screening method based on differences in the leaf morphology of resistant and susceptible types following insect challenge. PI 47545 was selected for study, since it displayed high levels of resistance in a white-grained wheat background, the predominant wheat class produced in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Segregation analysis was conducted on an F₂ population developed by cross-hybridizing the susceptible soft white winter wheat cultivar ‘Daws’ to the resistant accession PI 47545. Russian wheat aphid screening data from this population indicated that the resistance in PI 47545 is controlled by a single, dominant gene (χ² = 1.72; p ≤ 0.189). This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Chromosome and chromosomal arm locations of genes for resistance to Septoria glume blotch in wheat cultivar Cotipora

Summary Septoria glume blotch, caused by Stagonospora nodorum, is an important disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Separate genetic mechanisms were found to control flag leaf and spike resistance. Genes for resistance to S. nodorum were located on different chromosomes in the few wheat cultivars studied. These studies only partially agree on the chromosome locations of gene in wheat for resistance to S. nodorum, and chromosomal arm locations of such genes are not known. The objectives of this study were to determine the chromosome and chromosomal arm locations of genes that significantly influence resistance to S. nodorum in wheat cultivar Cotipora. Monosomic analysis showed that flag leaf resistance was controlled by genes on chromosomes 3A, 4A, and 3B whereas the spike resistance was controlled by genes on chromosomes 3A, 4A, 7A, and 3B (P=0.01). Additionally, genes on chromosomes 6B and 5A influenced the susceptibility of the flag leaf and spike reactions, respectively (P=0.01). Telocentric analysis showed that genes on both arms of chromosome 3A, and the long arms of chromosomes 4A and 3B were involved in the flag leaf resistance whereas genes on both arms of chromosome 4A, the short arm of chromosome 3A, and the long arm of chromosome 3B conferred spike resistance.