PROJECT
TITLE:
Plarit
and
Variety
Seieccion
in
Spring
Wheat,
Winter
Wheat
and
Barley
£vl
the
Coiitrol
of
Foliar
Diseases
"
?£R50w«EL:
J.vi.
Bergman,
Eakc,
bianey
J.L.A.
Eckhoff,
EARC,
Sidney
A.L.
Scharen,
USDA/ARS,
Bozeman
m
D.C.
Sands,
MSU,
Bozeman
M.
Bjarko,
MSU,
Bozeman
n
OBJECTIVES:
To
select
germplasm
of
winter
wheat,
spring
wheat
and
barley
that
has
improved
resistance
to
foliar
diseases
that
presently
occur
in
Montana,
and
to
incorporate
the
resistant
germplasm
into
winter
wheat,
spring
wheat
and
barley
^
breeding
programs
so
that
adapted
varieties
can
be
developed
for
release
to
com
mercial
small
grain
growers.
SUMMARY:
Foliar
diseases
are
of
increasing
economic
importance
to
small
grain
producers
in
Montana.
The
most
prevalent
of
these
diseases
are
the
fungi
Septoria
tritici
(Septoria
leaf
blotch),
Septoria
nodorum
(Septoria
glume
blotch)
and
Pyrenophora
trichostoma
(tan
spot),
the
bacteria
Pseudomonas
syringae
m
and
Xanthomonas
translucens,
and
wheat
streak
mosaic
virus.
No
reliable
esti
mates
are
available
as
to
the
economic
losses
caused
by
these
diseases,
but
due
to
their
widespread
occurrence,
losses
in
aggregate
are
probably
substantial.
n
Most
of
these
foliar
diseases
are
expected
to
be
of
particular
significance
under
continuous
cropping
conditions,
especially
in
combination
with
minimum
tillage
practices,
since
the
disease
inoculum
appears
to
be
carried
over
on
crop
residues
n
or
volunteer
grain.
Thus,
there
is
an
urgent
need
for
developing
or
identifying
germplasm
that
is
resistant
to
these
diseases
if
continuous
cropping
and
minimum
tillage
practices
are
to
be
applied
successfully
in
Montana
on
a
sustained
basis.
Wheat
disease
nurseries
have
been
grown
at
the
Eastern
Agricultural
Research
Center
in
cooperation
with
the
Plant
Pathology
Department
at
Montana
State
Uni
versity
since
1975.
Each
year,
250-700
spring
wheat
lines
and
150-500
winter
"
wheat
lines
have
been
evaluated
for
disease
resistance
potential.
Materials
for
the
nursery
are
provided
by
Dr.
A.
Scharen
of
the
Pathology
Department
and
come
from
various
environments,
including
Israel,
Lebanon,
Tunisia,
Kenya,
India,
n
Japan,
USSR,
Yugoslavia,
Algeria,
Spain,
Mexico,
Brazil,
Chile,
Argentina,
Australia
and
other
wheat
producing
countries.
All
the
disease
evaluations
are
made
by
personnel
from
the
Plant
Pathology
Department
at
Montana
State
Univer
sity.
In
addition
to
disease
ratings,
other
agronomic
characteristics
of
these
wheat
varieties
are
rated
by
the
staff
of
the
Eastern
Agricultural
Research
Center.
The
most
promising
lines
are
harvested
each
year
and
are
used
as
a
source
of
resistance
in
the
breeding
programs
at
Montana
State
University.
One
hundred
ninety-one
winter
wheat
lines
were
planted
under
irrigated
conditions
and
250
spring
wheat
lines
were
planted
under
dryland
conditions*
during
the
1988
growing
year.
The
winter
wheat
lines
were
evaluated
on
June
6
for
disease
type
and
severity.
The
spring
wheat
lines
were
evaluated
on
June
8.
Plants
were
very
short
(8
inches
of
less)
because
of
the
drought,
and
many
heads
were
empty.
Because
of
the
drought
damage,
there
was
no
disease
evaluation.on
the
spring
wheat
lines.
I-'
(-1
A
barley
disease
resistant
recurrent
selection
population
has
been
grown
at
the
Eastern
Agricultural
Research
Center
since
1979
in
cooperation
with
the
Plant
Pathology
Department
at
Montana
State
University.
The
population
has
been
pro-
^
vided
by
Dr.
David
Sands.
Dr.
Mike
Bjarko
has
evaluated
disease
reaction
and
selected
resistant
plants.
The
population
is
primarily
selected
for
resistance
to
Xanthomonas
translucens
(bacterial
leaf
streak),
although
selection
is
for
resistance
to
any
disease
organism.
Each
year,
several
thousand
plants
are
^
grown
and
evaluated
for
disease
resistance.
Resistant
plants
are
harvested
and
the
seed
produced
are
planted
in
a
winter
nursery
in
Arizona.
Plants
in
Arizona
are
intercrossed
and
the
resulting
seed
is
planted
back
in
Sidney
the
following
spring
as
the
disease
resistant
recurrent
selection
population.
Two
hundred
forty-four
rows
of
the
barley
disease
resistant
recurrent
selection
population
were
planted
on
the
dryland
farm
in
1988.
Drought
stress
was
severe
and
no
disease
evaluation
or
selection
could
be
made.
RESULTS:
Septoria
tritici
(leaf
blotch),
Septoria
nodorum
(glume
blotch)
and
r»
Pyrenophora
trichostoma
(tan
spot)
were
observed
in
the
irrigated
winter
wheat
nursery,
and
lines
were
evaluated
for
resistance
to
these
diseases.
The
bottom
leaves
of
the
plants
were
burned
and
dead
because
of
heat
stress.
The
lower
^
portions
of
the
leaves
that
were
alive
had
leaf
spot
disease
symptoms
and
were
evaluated.
Severity
of
these
diseases
was
low
this
year
and
readings
on
the
susceptible
controls
were
not
as
high
as
normal
because
the
disease
intensity
was
reduced
by
the
environment.
In
the
1988
gorwing
season,
high
temperatures
and
severe
drought
prevailed
in
much
of
the
spring
wheat
and
north
central
winter
wheat
area.
In
spite
of
the
drought,
r?
the
amount
of
Septoria
nodorum
(glume
blotch)
was
very
high,
suggesting
that
this
disease
thrives
in
the
heat
and
that
only
a
small
amount
of
moisture
is
needed
to
spread
the
disease
and
damage
the
crop.
FUTURE
PLANS:
Further
testing
and
selection
in
1989
is
anticipated
for
those
wheat
lines
selected
by
Dr.
A1
Scharen
as
having
foliar
disease
resistance.
Nurseries
are
planted
on
the
irrigated
research
site
as
well
as
the
dryland
farm
to
help
assure
a
satisfactory
level
of
infection.of
foliar
diseases
to
permit
worthwhile
disease
evaluations
in
1989.
Remnant
seed
of
the
disease
resistant
barley
recurrent
selection
population
will
be
planted
in
1989
at
the
Eastern
Agricultural
Research
Center.
Nurseries
are
planned
for
both
the
irrigated
and
dryland
farms
to
help
assure
a
satisfactory
level
of
disease
infection
so
that
worthwhile
disease
evaluations
can
be
made.
