Association mapping of septoria tritici blotch resistance in bread wheat in Bale and Arsi highlands, Ethiopia.

Septoria tritici blotch (STB) caused by the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici, anamorph Septoria tritici Rob. ex Desm., is an important wheat pathogen worldwide, reported to be major wheat production threating factor, posing considerable yield loss every year. Developing resistant cultivars is an efficient, economical, environmentally friendly and simple approach for managing STB. This study was carried out to evaluate spring bread wheat lines for their reaction to STB disease under field conditions; to associate phenotypic and genotypic data for identification of STB disease resistance; and to identify genomic region(s) associated with resistance to STB in spring bread wheat lines. Two hundred forty (240) spring bread wheat lines were evaluated under field conditions in non-replicated trials, using an augmented design. The trials were conducted at three locations (Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center, Madda Walabu University Research Site and Sinana Agricultural Research Center) in 2017 main cropping season (July to December). Out of these 240 wheat lines, 123 of them were genotyped with 10263 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) markers and population structure and association mapping analysis was done. The wheat lines showed significant variations in percentage disease severity and area under the disease progress curve at all the three locations they were evaluated. The wheat lines were classified as resistant, moderately resistant, moderately susceptible and susceptible based on the percentage disease severity scored. Five wheat lines were found to be resistant to STB in all the three locations and are recommended for direct release by the national program and parentage purposes in wheat breeding programs. The 123 wheat lines were clustered into 3 subpopulations in which the first cluster contained 99 wheat lines; the second 17 and the last one 7. Among the polymorphic 8127 SNPs markers, 26 markers on chromosomes 7B, 1D, 3A, 2B, 6B and 3D were found to be significantly (P < 0.001) associated with STB resistance so that they can be utilized for marker assisted selection and gene pyramiding in resistance breeding programs.

Assessing performance and stability of yellow rust resistance, heat tolerance, and agronomic performance in diverse bread wheat genotypes for enhancing resilience to climate change under Egyptian conditions.

Yellow rust and heat stress adversatively impact the growth and production of bread wheat in particular under rising adverse environmental conditions. Stability of grain yield is a pivotal purpose of plant breeders to improve wheat production and ensure global food security especially under abrupt climate change. The objective of this study was to assess the performance and stability of diverse bread wheat genotypes for yellow rust resistance, heat stress, and yield traits. The studied genotypes were evaluated in two different locations under two sowing dates (timely and late sowing) during two growing seasons. The obtained results displayed significant differences among the tested locations, sowing dates, and genotypes for most measured traits. The yellow rust measurements evaluated under the field conditions including final rust severity (FRS), the average coefficient of infection (ACI), and area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) revealed that Giza-171, Misr-1, Gemmeiza-12, Shandweel-1, Sids-13, Line-1, Line-2, and Line-55 had better resistance. Based on heat sensitivity measurements, Line-1 and Line-2 followed by Line-35, Shandweel-1 and Line-55 were classified as more tolerant to heat stress compared with the remaining genotypes. The genotypes Line-55, Gemmeiza-12, Giza-171, Line-1, Line-2, and Misr-1 were able to maintain acceptable agronomic performance under timely and late sowing dates in all evaluated environments. Different statistical procedures were employed to explore the adaptability and stability of tested genotypes i.e., joint regression, stratified ranking, Wricke's Ecovalence values, cultivar superiority, additive main effects, and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), AMMI stability value, and genotype plus genotype-by-environment interaction (GGE). The applied stability parameters were quite similar for describing the stability of the evaluated wheat genotypes. The results indicated that Gemmeiza-12, Giza-171, Sids-12, Sids-13, Misr-1 Shandweel-1, Line-1, Line-2, and Line-55 were desirable and stable. The heatmap and hierarchical clustering were exploited for dividing the evaluated bread wheat genotypes into different clusters based on yellow rust resistance measurements, heat tolerance indices, and agronomic performance. Line-1 and Line-2 had the best performance for all rust resistance, heat tolerance, and agronomic performance followed by Giza-171, Line-55, Line-35, Gemmeiza-12, Shandweel-1, Misr-1, and Sids-13. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence of utilizing promising genotypes in rust resistance, heat tolerance, and agronomic performance in breeding programs for improving wheat grain yield stability mainly under climate change.

Greenhouse Evaluation of Clubroot Resistant-Brassica napus cv. Mendel and Its Efficacy Concerning Virulence and Soil Inoculum Levels of Plasmodiophora brassicae.

Clubroot resistance of oilseed rape (OSR) cultivars frequently relies on a major resistance gene originating from cv. Mendel. The efficacy of this resistance was studied in greenhouse experiments using two Plasmodiophora brassicae isolates, which were either virulent (P1(+)) or avirulent (P1) on Mendel. Seeds of clubroot-susceptible cultivar Visby and clubroot-resistant cultivar Mendel were sown in soil mixtures inoculated with different concentrations of resting spores (101, 103, 105, and 107 resting spores/g soil). Clubroot severity, plant height, shoot and root weight as well as resting spore propagation were assessed for each isolate and cultivar separately at four dates after sowing. The OSR cultivars behaved significantly different in the measured parameters. The threshold of inoculum density to cause disease depended strongly on the virulence of the pathogen and susceptibility of the host plant. In Visby grown in soil infested with P1, clubroot symptoms and increases in root weight and the number of propagated resting spores occurred at inoculum levels of 101 resting spores and higher, whereas Mendel was not affected in soils under the three lowest inoculum densities. In contrast, the P1(+) isolate led to earlier and more severe symptoms, heavier galls, and a significantly higher number of new resting spores in both cultivars.

Prohexadione-calcium on downy mildew and botrytis bunch rot epidemiology, and yield and technological and phenolic parameters of the Merlot vine cultivar in the highland region of southern Brazil / Efeitos da prohexadiona de cálcio na epidemiologia do mildio e podridão de botrytis e no desempenho vitícola da cultivar de videira Merlot em região de altitude do sul do Brasil

ABSTRACT: Prohexadione-calcium (ProCa) is a gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor and the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ProCa on the downy mildew (DM) and Botrytis bunch rot (BBR) epidemiology, and the yield and technological and phenolic parameters of grape Merlot cultivar. Experiments were carried out in a commercial vineyard in São Joaquim Municipality/SC, Southern Brazil, during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 growing seasons. ProCa was applied at four doses and three phenological stages: A) 0 g ha−1 (control); B) 1000 g ha−1 (inflorescence fully developed); C) 500 + 500 g ha−1 (inflorescence fully developeted and full flowering); D) 500 + 500 + 500 g ha−1 (inflorescence fully developed, full flowering, and berries pea-sized). DM and BBR incidence and severity were quantified weekly from the first symptom appearance until harvest, and their epidemiology was compared according to: a) the beginning of symptom appearance; b) the time to reach the maximum disease incidence and severity; c) the maximum value of disease incidence and severity; d) the area under the disease progress curve. In general, there were significant differences in the ProCa doses for all epidemiologic parameters of DM and BBR compared with the control plot; however, there was no significant difference among the ProCa doses. The principal epidemiological variables that differentiated the effect of ProCa on the DM and BBR control were the Smax and AUSDPC. Some yield and technological and phenolic parameters were negatively affected by different doses of ProCa, but it was still a good option for DM and BBR control in highland region of southern Brazil during the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 growing seasons.

RESUMO: A prohexadiona-cálcio (ProCa) é um inibidor da biossíntese de giberelina e o objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o efeito do ProCa na epidemiologia do míldio da videira (MV) e da podridão de Botrytis (PB) e no desempenho vitícola da cultivar de videira Merlot. Experimentos foram realizados em um vinhedo comercial no município de São Joaquim/SC, Sul do Brasil, durante as safras 2017-2018 e 2018-2019. A ProCa foi aplicada em quatro doses e três estágios fenológicos: A) 0 g ha-1 (controle); B) 1000 g ha-1 (inflorescência totalmente desenvolvida); C) 500 + 500 g ha-1 (inflorescência totalmente desenvolvida e floração completa); D) 500 + 500 + 500 g ha-1 (inflorescência totalmente desenvolvida, floração completa e baga tipo ervilha). A incidência e severidade de MV e PB foram quantificadas semanalmente a partir do aparecimento dos primeiros sintomas até a colheita e a epidemiologia das doenças foram comparadas de acordo com: a) o início do aparecimento dos sintomas; b) tempo para atingir a máxima incidência e severidade da doença; c) valor máximo da incidência e severidade da doença; d) área abaixo da curva de progresso da doença. Em geral, houve diferenças significativas na dose de ProCa para todos os parâmetros epidemiológicos de MV e PB em comparação com o controle; no entanto, não houve diferença significativa entre as doses de ProCa. As principais variáveis ​​epidemiológicas que diferenciaram o efeito da ProCa no controle do MV e PB foram o Smax e o AUSDPC. Algumas variáveis vitícolas da cultivar Merlot foram afetados negativamente por diferentes doses de ProCa, mas ainda foi uma boa opção o uso da ProCa para o controle do MV e PB em região de altitude do sul do Brasil durante as safras 2017-2018 e 2018-2019.

Ethylene inhibitor aminoethoxyvinilglycine on glomerella leaf spot in apple cultivar 'Royal Gala' / Inibidor de etileno aminoetoxivinilglicina sobre a mancha foliar de 'Glomerella' na cultivar de macieira 'Royal Gala'

Aqueous solution of Aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG) has been commercialized in Brazil as ReTainTM C, 15 percent mainly as a potent inhibitor of ethylene biosynthesis by prevention of pre-harvest abscission and ripening of apple fruits. The effect of the product was evaluated during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 crop seasons in edafoclimatic conditions of Santa Catarina upland. Plants of 'Royal Gala' cultivar were sprayed with ReTainTM C, four weeks before the first commercial harvest at doses of 0; 62,5; 125, and 250mg a.i L-1. The incidence and severity were quantified weekly in 100 leaves distributed in four branches with 12 replications and assessed the area under the incidence -I and severity -S disease progress curve (AUIDPC and AUSDPC) of Glomerella leaf spot (GLS). The AUIDPC and AUSDPC were significantly higher after AVG application and although there was no significant difference between 125 and 250mg a.i L-1 doses in both 2007-08 and 2008-09 crop seasons. In general, the symptoms of GLS (e.g. chlorosis, necrosis) increased between the fourth and eighth week after application.

Solução aquosa de Aminoetoxivinilglicina (AVG) tem sido comercializada no Brasil como ReTainTM C, 15 por cento, principalmente como um potente inibidor da biossíntese do etileno na prevenção da abscisão e maturação de frutos em macieira. O efeito do produto foi avaliado durante as safras 2007-08 e 2008-09 nas condições edafo-climáticas do planalto Catarinense. Plantas de maçãs 'Royal Gala' foram pulverizadas com o ReTainTM C, quatro semanas antes da primeira colheita comercial, nas concentrações de 0;62,5; 125 e 250mg i.a L-1. A incidência e a severidade foram quantificadas semanalmente em 100 folhas, distribuídas em quatro ramos por plantas, com 12 repetições e calculado a área abaixo da curva do progresso da incidência -I e severidade -S da doença (AACPID e AACPSD). A AACPID e AACPSD foram significativamente maiores após a aplicação do AVG e não houve diferença significativa entre as doses de 125 e 250mg i.a L-1 nos dois anos de cultivo avaliados. Em geral, os sintomas típicos de clorose e necrose da Mancha da Glomerella aumentaram entre a quarta e oitava semana após a aplicação.