Award details

Fundamental studies of crop-disease-environment interactions

Reference	BBS/E/C/00091753
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Hugh McCartney
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Rothamsted Research
Department	Rothamsted Research Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	216,813
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/11/1997
End date	31/03/1999
Duration	17 months

Abstract

The overall aim of this project is to provide fundamental understanding of the interactions between environmental factors, plant pathogens and host crops in relation to plant disease epidemics and their effects on arable crops. This knowledge will contribute to the reduction of chemical inputs through improved husbandry practices and a better assessment of the need for fungicide application and its optimum timing. The objectives are: to study the key phases in the spread of plant pathogens within arable crops; to study the influence of epidemic development on crop yield and quality; to develop generally applicable methods for modelling different aspects of epidemic development; and to investigate new techniques for measuring key environmental and biological factors. Relationships between environmental factors, such as temperature, leaf wetness and wind, and sporulation (inoculum production), dispersal and infection processes will be studied in field experiments. Field experiments will also be used to investigate the relationship between inoculum deposition and epidemic development, and the effects of disease on crop yield and quality. Detailed studies of the effects of specific environmental factors on pathogen/host interactions will be done in controlled environment conditions in the laboratory and will include wind tunnel and rain tower experiments on dispersal processes. An important element is the measurement and prediction of key environmental variables such as leaf wetness, important in most phases of epidemic development, and rain-splash events. Inoculum detection can be a key factor in forecasting disease development in crops, and the use of novel methods, based on immunological or molecular techniques, may allow this to be done on a routine basis. Oilseed rape is currently used as a model crop system for studying both pathogen/environment interactions and pathogen/crop (yield and quality) interactions. The fundamental understanding of dispersal processes and the improvements in inoculum monitoring techniques developed within this project will have relevance to other host pathogen systems but will also have applications in the understanding and management of human and animal disease. Objectives 1996 None. New project in 1997. 1997 To study the relationship between airborne Sclerotinia sclerotiorum ascospore concentration and stem rot development in winter oilseed rape crops. To test a novel method of measuring rainfall in relation to splash dispersal. To investigate the use of PCR methods for the detection of Pyrenopeziza brassicae ascospores.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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