Field Response to Pratylenchus Thornei of a Wheat Line with the CreAet Gene for Resistance to Heterodera Avenae

The gene CreAet for resistance to Heterodera avenae, transferred from Aegilops triuncialis to Triticum aestivum introgression line TR-353, was assessed for responses to Pratylenchus thornei under field conditions. After 2.5 months, P. thornei infestation on TR-353 was similar to those on its progenitors (T. aestivum H10-15, T. turgidum H1-1 and A. triuncialis A-1) and on the cultivar Capa. After 5 months, TR-353 hosted significantly more P. thornei per plant than A. triuncialis, T. aestivum H10-15 or cultivar Rinconada, being very close to the maximum value obtained from T. turgidum. The final infestation of line TR-353 by H. avenae was significantly lower than on the other plants, except for A. triuncialis. In addition, at 2.5 months, the abundance of P. thornei on TR-353 was intermediate between the introgression wheat line H93-8 (Cre2 gene) and the cultivar Loros (Cre1 gene), but the final number of P. thornei per plant on TR-353 was significantly greater than on Loros. Line TR-353 was not able to control P. thornei in the field, but it confirmed its resistance to H. avenae, which was significantly lower than those due to Cre1 and Cre2 genes. No competition was observed between P. thornei and H. avenae populations on line TR-353 or A. triuncialis.