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Wheat Information Service
Number 84: 7-12 (1997)
Research article

The diversity of resources resistant to scab in Triticeae (Poaceae)

Yong-Fang Wan, Chi Yen, Jun-Liang Yang and Deng-Cai Liu

Triticeae Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Dujiangyan City 611830, Sichuan, China


Summary

Resistance to scab was evaluated using 1463 accessions from 85 species belonging to 17 genera in Triticeae. The results indicated that 31 accessions from 5 species were highly resistant to initial infection and spread. The accessions resistant both to initial infection and spread were mainly found in perennial genera Roegneria, Hystrix, Kengyilia, Agropyron and Elymus. Roegneria was the best resistant genera. The differences of resistance to scab in Triticeae are closely related to their ecological conditions where they grow.


Introduction

Wheat blight or scab, caused by Gibberella zeae Petch (=Fusarium graminearum Schwabe), has been one of the most destructive disease in warm and humid wheat growing area of the world. Up to now, no cultivars with immunity or resistance to both initial infection and spread within spike tissue have been found in Triticum and its relatives including Aegilops, Haynaldia and Secale (Hanson et al. 1950; Liu 1985; Mesterhazy 1987; Tomasovic 1989). In this situation, the diversity of resources resistant to scab has to be evaluated in many other species in Triticeae. In the present paper, results of the survey on the scab resistance in Triticeae are reported.


Materials and methods

The conidia of Gibberella zeae Petch used for inoculation of the test materials (Table 1) were obtained according to Schroeder and Christensen (1963). The inoculum was a mixed spore suspension of three isolates from scaby wheat kernels, collected at Chengdu, Yaan and Dujiangyan cities, Sichuan province, China. The concentration of spore suspension was, on the average of 10 slides, about 50 spores per 10 x 10 microscope field. Multifloret and single-floret injection were used for determining resistance to initial infection and to the pathogen spread within spike tissue, respectively.

Resistance to initial infection
The first florets of 12 spikelets per spike were injected with a drop of 5 microliter conidial suspension with a microsyringe, and each spike was covered with a cellulose bag. These injected spikelets were daily investigated after inoculation to study the latent period of infection. The assessment of resistance to initial infection was made at maturity stage based on the percentage of infected spikelets as follows: 0 = immune (I), 0.1-50% = highly resistant (HR), 50.1-70% = resistant (R), 70.1-90% = moderately resistant (MR), 90.1-100% and latent period of infection longer than 5 days = susceptible (S), 90.1-100% and latent period of infection shorter than 5 days = highly susceptible (HS).

Resistance to spread
The first floret of one intermediate spikelet per spike was injected with a drop of 5 microliter conidial suspension. The disease ratings were recorded at wax maturity stage. The method of disease rating was according to Xu and Fang (1982). The assessment of resistance to spread was based on mean disease rating as follows: 0 = immune (I), 0.1- 1.99 = highly resistant (HR), 2.00-2.99= resistant (R), 3.00-3.60 = moderately resistant (MR), 3.61-4.20 = susceptible (S), 4.21-5.00 = highly susceptible (HS).


Results

Resistance to scab was evaluated using 1463 accessions of 85 species belonging to 17 genera of Triticeae. The results indicated that there is no immune accession to scab in Triticeae (Table 2). However, 31 accessions from 5 species were highly resistant to initial infection and to spread. Twenty-eight accessions from 13 species showed resistance to initial infection and high resistance to spread. Thirty-five accessions from 15 species showed moderate resistance to initial infection and high resistance to spread. One accession was resistant both to initial infection and spread. Though 45 accessions were susceptible to initial infection, they were highly resistant to spread. Out of the 45 accessions, 30 were hexaploid common wheat.

The accessions that showed resistance to both initial infection and spread were mainly found in the perennial genera Roegneria, Hystrix, Kengyilia, Agropyron and Elymus. In particular, 67 out of 69 accessions of Roegneria were resistant to both initial infection and spread, the response of which was the best among Triticeae (Table 2).

The accessions which are listed in Table 1, but not included in the Table 2 were sensitive to wheat scab.

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