Quantitative trait loci conferring blast resistance in hexaploid wheat at adult plant stage

Blast disease, caused by the Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum pathotype (MoT), is a major concern for wheat production in tropical and subtropical regions. The most destructive symptoms occur in wheat spikes. Infected spikes become bleached due to partial or total sterility, producing small and wrinkled grains. High disease pressure of the disease results in significant yield losses. This study aimed to identify wheat quantitative trait loci (QTLs) conferring resistance to blast disease at the heading stage. A doubled-haploid population was developed from the cross between BRS 209 (susceptible) and CBFusarium ENT014 (resistant, carrying the 2NS translocation). A linkage map was constructed containing 5,381 molecular markers and the inclusive composite interval mapping method was employed for QTL detection. Four QTLs were mapped in response to two MoT isolates. The major QTL identified on the 2AS chromosome explained an average of 84.0% of the phenotypic variation for spike bleaching at 9 days postinoculation and reinforces the potency of the 2NS translocation. Recombination between the distal region of chromosome 2AS and the 2NS marker was found. These results could explain why some lines carrying the VENTRIUP/LN2 marker have a variable reaction to the disease. QTLs on 5B and 7B chromosomes were also identified. Two mechanisms of resistance were hypothesized: the hypersensitive response and resistance to colonization of host tissues. The KASP markers thus developed and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) allocated in QTL regions can be used in the future for the development of wheat blast-resistant cultivars.     

Damping-off of soybean in southern Brazil can be associated with different species of Globisporangium spp. and Pythium spp.

Damping-off of soybean is a common problem in some fields in southern Brazil. Frequently, Phytophthora sojae has been pointed out as the main causal agent. However, questions were raised as to whether other oomycetes could also be present. Hence, the objectives of this study were to isolate, identify, and determine the pathogenicity and aggressiveness of oomycetes isolated from soybean seedlings. Thirty-three isolates were obtained from 13 fields. Isolates were identified based on morphology and molecular methods. Nine species were recovered: Pythium conidiophorum (n = 14, 42.4%), Globisporangium rostratifingens (n = 7, 21.2%), G. irregulare (n = 2, 6.1%), G. spinosum (n = 1, 3.0%), G. ultimum var. sporangiiferum (n = 2, 6.1%), Pythium acanthicum (n = 2, 6.1%), P. deliense (n = 1, 3.0%), P. inflatum (n = 1, 3.0%), and P. torulosum (n = 3, 9.1%). Pathogenicity and aggressiveness were determined with two soybean cultivars (DM57i52 and NEO530) in a seed rot assay and a root rot assay. All isolates were pathogenic to soybean with variable levels of aggressiveness in both assays. The range of seed disease severity index varied from 7.5 to 100 for DM57i52 and from 23.1 to 100 for NEO530. The mean root disease severity index of the soybean cultivars ranged from 29.4 to 92.8. This is the first official report of G. irregulare, G. rostratifingens, G. spinosum, G. ultimum var. sporangiiferum, P. acanthicum, P. conidiophorum, P. deliense, P. inflatum, and P. torulosum causing damping-off of soybean in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil.     

Determining the impact of initial population densities of Meloidogyne paranaensis on phenotyping coffee genotypes to nematode resistance: a meta-analysis of studies from 2008 to 2019

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Meloidogyne paranaensis is one of the highly aggressive nematode species that infect coffee crops in Brazil, causing extensive yield losses. The main...