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Effects of the Lr34 and Lr46 rust resistance genes on susceptibility to hemibiotrophic and necrotrophic diseases of wheat

Reference	BBS/E/J/000CA419
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor James Brown
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Paul Nicholson
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	60,787
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/09/2010
End date	31/08/2014
Duration	48 months

Abstract

The rust diseases of wheat are among the greatest challenges facing agriculture in developing countries (DC). In the last decade, races of yellow rust adapted to high temperatures have spread world-wide while Ug99 races of stem rust have spread into Asia. Brown rust continues to be a persistent threat to wheat yields. Genes for durable disease resistance are especially valuable in plant breeding. Unlike gene-for-gene resistance, durable resistance remains effective for a long time over a large area, even in areas conducive to the disease, helping greatly to provide farmers with food security and economic stability. Wheat breeders need to understand and control all diseases which are significant in the local environment, not just rusts. Septoria tritici blotch (STB) is the most important foliar disease of wheat in many DC regions while Fusarium head blight (FHB) produces toxic fungal metabolites and is a threat to yield in hot, humid environments. There is mounting evidence for trade-offs between responses to different diseases and pests. In particular, resistance to biotrophic pathogens may increase susceptibility to necrotrophs. Recent research has shown that certain important genes for rust resistance alter the responses of wheat seedlings to STB, increasing susceptibility to virulent isolates of STB and suppressing resistance to avirulent isolates. The significance of this effect for control of STB in the field will be determined, because all current data are from seedlings. To understand the full implications for wheat breeding, however, the effects of these genes on other necrotrophic and hemibiotrophic fungi will be studied. Understanding the mechanism by which rust resistance genes affects responses to STB will help pathologists to predict their effects on diverse diseases, while the relationship of STB-susceptibility to resistance to rusts and mildew will be investigated.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Crop Science, Microbiology, Plant Science
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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