Analysis of Host-Specific Differentiation of Puccinia striiformis in the South and North-West of the European Part of Russia

Yellow (stripe) rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. (Pst), is a major disease of cereals worldwide. We studied Pst virulence phenotypes on Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum, and triticale in three geographically distant regions of the European part of Russia (Dagestan and Krasnodar in North Caucasus, and Northwest) with different climate and environmental conditions. Based on the set of twenty differential lines, a relatively high level of population diversity was determined with 67 different Pst pathotypes identified among 141 isolates. Only seven pathotypes were shared by at least two hosts or occurred in the different regions. No significant differentiation was found between regional Pst collections of pathotypes either from T. aestivum or from T. durum. A set of Pst pathotypes from triticale was subdivided into two groups. One of them was indistinguishable from most durum and common wheat pathotypes, whereas the second group differed greatly from all other pathotypes. All sampled Pst isolates were avirulent on lines with Yr5, Yr10, Yr15, and Yr24 genes. Significant variation in virulence frequency among all Pst collections was observed on lines containing Yr1, Yr3, Yr17, Yr27, and YrSp genes and cvs Strubes Dickkopf, Carstens V, and Nord Desprez. Relationships between Russian regional collections of Pst from wheat did not conform to those for P. triticina.

Variability studies of Magnaporthe oryzae Using International Rice Blast Differentials Set under Agroclimatic Conditions of Kashmir Valley, India

The pathogenic variability of the sixty isolates of M. oryzae was confirmed by testing them for virulence and cultivar reaction against International rice blast differentials (IBD) viz., Raminad Str. 3, Zenith, Usen, NP-125, Kanto-51, Dular, Tsia-tiao-sio and Caloro lodging Piz, Pia, Pii, Pia, Pika, Pi-k and Piks resistance genes for rice blasteither singly or in combination or with an unknown background. The pathotype analysis of the isolates, collected from four surveyed districts of Kashmir valley revealed the presence of four races viz., IC-17, IC-25, ID-1 and II-1 according to the race classification and nomenclature proposed by Ling and Ou (1969). Of the 60 isolates of M. oryzae, 25 isolates pertained to race IC-17, 16 and 14 other isolates pertained to race ID-1 and II-1, respectively, whereas four other isolates pertained to race IC-25. The predominant pathotype was IC-17 with a virulence frequency of 60 %, followed by II-1 (46.67%) in district Pulwama, ID-1 (40%) and IC-25 (13.33%) in district Bandipora, respectively. IC-17 was seen to be the predominant race in each location in every district. Race ID-1 has been observed to overcome the maximum number of genes viz., Pia, Pika+, Piks and Pik. but none of the isolates was able to overcome Raminad Str 3 and Zenith.

Wheat leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks.) virulence frequency and detection of resistance genes in wheat cultivars registered in the Czech Republic in 2016–2018

In 2016–2018 virulence of the Czech wheat leaf rust population was studied on Thatcher near-isogenic lines, carrying different Lr genes, and 130 leaf rust isolates. Virulence to Lr9 was found only sporadically. Virulence frequency to Lr2a, Lr2b, Lr2c and Lr28 was lower than in previous years. All tested isolates were avirulent to Lr19. Lr24 conditioned resistance to majority of isolates. Nineteen recently registered Czech cultivars were tested with six isolates of the pathogen and Lr genes were postulated. Presence of genes Lr1, Lr10, Lr19, Lr24, Lr26, Lr28, Lr34 and Lr37 was tested by molecular markers. Lr37 prevailed, followed by Lr genes 10, 24, 28, 1 and 26; genes Lr19 and Lr34 were not determined.

Occurrence and Distribution of Physiological Races of Exserohilum turcicum in Ontario, Canada

Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) caused by Exserohilum turcicum is the most common and economically significant fungal leaf disease of corn in Ontario, Canada. During the past 10 years in Ontario, severity and incidence of NCLB have increased, possibly owing to the appearance of new races. Several races have been identified in various parts of the world; however, information on occurrence and distribution of races in Ontario is lacking. In the current study, 677 single conidial isolates of E. turcicum were isolated from 687 symptomatic leaf samples collected between 2012 and 2016. These isolates were evaluated for pathogenicity on six corn differential inbreds (A619, A619Ht1, A619Ht2, A619Ht3, A632Htn1, and H102Htm1) under controlled environmental conditions and then grouped into 17 physiological races (0, 1, 2, 3, M, N, 12, 1M, 1N, 3M, 13M, 12N, 13N, 1MN, 12MN, 13MN, 123MN) based on the reaction of the inbreds to infection (resistant or susceptible). Four races (0, 1M, 1N, and 1MN) were most frequent, with an isolation frequency of 13, 10, 12, and 41%, respectively. Seventy-six percent of the isolates were virulent on more than one Ht resistance gene, with 2.4% (16 isolates) virulent on all five Ht resistance genes used in this study. Further analysis of the distribution of races in four regions over the years revealed that the occurrence and distribution of the races changed with time in Ontario. Overall, the frequency of virulence of the 677 isolates screened on the differentials with resistance genes Ht1, Ht2, Ht3, Htm1, and Htn1 varied from 6 to 81% (Ht1 81%, Ht2 6%, Ht3 12%, Htm1 64%, and Htn1 64%). Virulent isolates produced fewer lesions on the Htm1 differential, and smaller lesions that were slower and having less sporulation on the Htn1 differential, compared with infection of the differentials with Ht1, Ht2, and Ht3 resistance genes. Virulence frequency also changed within the four geographical regions of Ontario, with fewer isolates virulent on all resistance genes in eastern Ontario compared with southern and western Ontario. Isolates from southern Ontario had greater virulence frequency against Ht1 and Htm1, whereas isolates from western Ontario were more frequently virulent on Ht1 and Htn1. The information generated in this study on the distribution of E. turcicum races in Ontario corn will help growers to select appropriate hybrids with required resistance genes and will assist seed companies in deploying resistance genes in corn hybrids across the province or within a particular region.

Virulence complexity and its increasing in the Czech population of Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei

The virulence frequency to 12 resistance genes present in the studied cultivars in the time before their first using in grown cultivars were estimated mainly based on the data of cultivar resistance in the field. The estimated virulence frequency is compared with results obtained from investigations of the air pathogen population in 2001. The comparison shows that virulence complexity increased from about 0.90 in 1971 to 8.73 in 2001. The increase in virulence complexity was caused by necessity of the pathogen to survive on cultivars possessing respective resistance genes, it means by direct selection [(Va1, Va6, Va7, Va9, Va13, Vat, Vk1, VLa, Vg and V(Kr)], indirect selection (Va12) and immigration (Va3).

Race Characterization of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, the Cause of Wheat Stripe Rust, in Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta, Canada and Virulence Comparison with Races from the United States

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, has been common across Saskatchewan, Canada since 2000. Fifty-nine isolates of P. striiformis f. sp. tritici, the majority of which were collected between 2011 and 2013 from Saskatchewan and southern Alberta, were analyzed for virulence frequency and diversity and compared with isolates characterized in the Pacific Northwest and Great Plains regions of the United States. In all, 31 wheat differentials, including 20 near-isogenic lines and 1 triticale variety, differentiated 59 P. striiformis f. sp. tritici isolates into 33 races, of which one race, C-PST-1, represented 31% of the isolates. None of the races were virulent on Yr5, Yr15, or YrSP. Virulence frequency ranged from 65 to 98% on YrA, Yr2, Yr8, Yr9, Yr27, Yr29, Yr32, YrSu, ‘Heines VII’, and ‘Nord Deprez’. Race C-PST-6 was virulent on the greatest number of the differentials (n = 25) and C-PST-18 on the fewest (n = 14). Discriminant analysis of principal components and multivariate cluster analyses detected three and four major groups, respectively, which differed from each other in terms of virulence spectrum and year of collection. The diversity of the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici population in southern Alberta was greater than in Saskatchewan, which indicated that, although P. striiformis f. sp. tritici is primarily windborne over great distances and does not usually overwinter, there are detectable differences in virulence between these regions of western Canada. Comparative analyses of virulence frequency of Saskatchewan or southern Alberta isolates with isolates representing races from the Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest of the United States indicated greater similarity of Saskatchewan races to the Great Plains despite strong correlations with both parts of the United States. This suggests that the P. striiformis f. sp. tritici population in Saskatchewan is a mixture of inoculum from both parts of the United States.

Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei virulence frequency and the powdery mildew incidence on spring barley in the Wielkopolska province

Powdery mildew caused by fungi Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei is one of the most common barley diseases in Polish meteorological conditions. The powdery mildew fungus is made up of different races and forms that are highly specialized. Barley cultivars might be resistant to a certain race of the mildew fungus, but susceptible to another race. Development of the disease is rapid in temperatures from 12 to 20°C, and in humid weather. The aim of the two-year experiment was to assess B. graminis f. sp. hordei virulence frequency and powdery mildew occurrence on five spring barley cultivars. Virulence frequency of the pathogen depended on place and term of exposition. The occurrence of powdery mildew on spring barley cultivars depended on virulence frequency of the pathogen and weather conditions.

Virulence and Diversity of Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei in Israel and in the Czech Republic

Three hundred and nine isolates were obtained from three natural populations of Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei occurring on wild barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum) at two locations in Israel during 1997 and 1999. Their virulence frequency was determined on 32 differential lines. No isolate was virulent on the differential lines possessing the genes Mla13, mlo, Mlf1, and Mli, and conversely no isolate was avirulent on the differential lines possessing the genes MlRu2, MlLa, Mlh, Mla8, Mla25, and Mlj. The frequencies of isolates overcoming the genes Mlg, Mla7, and Mla27 were 0 to 16% at individual locations; frequencies of isolates overcoming the genes Mla9, Mla17, and Mla18 ranged from 37 to 78%, and frequencies of virulences to genes Mla1, Mla3, Mla6, Mlp1, Mlat, Mla12, Mlra, Mlk1, Mla19, Mla20, Mla26, Mla28, Mla29, Mla30, Mla32, and mlt1 were 79 to 99%. Based on examination of 376 isolates collected in the same years from the Czech Republic, these populations differed greatly from the Israeli ones. The Czech populations showed greater diversity of virulence and lower mean virulence complexity than the Israeli populations. Diversity in the Israeli populations differed also among clusters of niches at the same location.

Virulence pattern of Pyricularia grisea isolates from farmers' fields on newly released upland rice cultivars

The virulence pattern of the isolates of Pyricularia grisea from commercial fields of the upland rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars 'Primavera' and 'BRS Bonança' was analyzed. A hundred and seventy monoconidial isolates of the pathogen virulent to 'Primavera' and 139 to 'BRS Bonança' collected from eight fields, during two years (2001-2003) were tested, under greenhouse conditions, on six newly released rice cultivars. Differences in virulence pattern were observed in pathogenic populations of 'Primavera' and 'BRS Bonança'. Isolates with virulence to improved cultivars were common in samples from farmers' fields in the absence of aloinfection. The virulence frequency of P. grisea isolates collected from 'Primavera'' to cultivars 'BRS Vencedora', 'BRS Colosso', 'BRS Liderança', 'BRS Soberana', 'BRS Curinga' and 'BRS Talento', was high in descending order. On the other hand, in the fungus population of 'BRS BRS Bonança' virulence frequency was high in 'BRS Talento', followed by 'BRS Curinga', 'BRS Vencedora', 'BRS Liderança', 'BRS Colosso' and 'BRS Soberana'. While virulence to 'BRS Talento' was rare among isolates from 'Primavera', it was most frequent in isolates of 'BRS Bonança'. The six improved rice cultivars permitted to differentiating agriculturally important virulences in the pathogen population which can be utilized in selecting breeding lines for specific resistance, in rice blast improvement program.

Nonrandom Distribution of Virulences Within Two Field Collections of Uromyces appendiculatus

Two collections of urediniospores of Uromyces appendiculatus, each from a different commercial bean field, were characterized for associations of virulence among individuals within each collection. Four bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) lines with distinct, race-specific resistance to which virulence in each population was polymorphic were used to obtain measures of all six possible pairwise virulence associations for each collection. We inoculated one of the lines and collected urediniospores only from the segment of the population that was virulent on that line. This segment, when compared with nonselected collections from susceptible Pinto 111, gave a direct measure of degree of association as the change in frequency of virulence observed. Plants of the second bean line were inoculated in separate sets with both selected and unselected collections. Frequencies of virulence were estimated from the numbers of susceptible-type and resistant-type infections. Reciprocals of each pairing also were made. For collection P21, all virulences were significantly associated, either positively or negatively, except one pair (in one direction of selection only); whereas, for collection M5, all virulences were significantly associated. Virulence association in P21 was shown to be the result of predominance of phenotypes with certain combinations of virulence by inoculation of the four bean lines with 10 randomly chosen single-uredinial individuals. In support of this, a large random-mated F1 population derived from each collection showed much less virulence association, with the majority of pairs of virulences showing nonsignificant changes in virulence frequency after passage through the first line. Random mating also significantly changed virulence frequency from that of the original population in all instances. Changes were in both directions, suggesting either that virulences were not all recessive, or that heterozygote frequency was sometimes above and sometimes below the Hardy-Weinberg expectation in the field populations.