RESISTANCE TO WHEAT BLAST AMONG CULTIVARS UNDER GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS Abstract uri icon

abstract

  • Wheat blast is a major disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT), being first identified in the state of Paraná, Brazil in 1985 and subsequently in Santa Cruz, Bolivia in 1996. Due to the limited number of resistant cultivars, the identification of new sources is of vital importance. The objective of the study was to determine the blast resistance levels of fifteen bread wheat genotypes under greenhouse conditions in 2017. The study included cultivars grown in the tropical region of Bolivia such as Urubó, Motacú, San Pablo, INIAF-Tropical, INIAF-Qollpana, INIAF-Tropivalle, Milan, Attila, Kachu#1, 2WBEG70, 2WBEG77, 2WBEG88, 2WBEG89, 2WBEG14, as well as the susceptible check Atlax. The study was established under a completely randomized block design with eight replications, with an experimental unit being a pot with five plants. The response variables were disease severity, number of infected rachis internodes, number of infected spikelets, thousand kernel weight, area of grain and weight of grain per spike. Ten spikes per pot were subjected to artificial inoculations with strains isolated from Okinawa, Santa Cruz. Each spike was sprayed with 1 ml of inoculum solution of 20,000 spores*ml-1, 0.42% gelatin and 0.01% of Tween-80. After inoculation, the spikes were covered with plastic bag for 48 hours to promote the establishment of infection. Based on the analyzed data, two resistant genotypes INIAF-Tropical and Kachu#1 with severity less than 10% were identified, both having the 2NS segment that probably confers the resistance. Three moderately resistant cultivars were identified, i.e. Urubó (11.4%), San Pablo (12.9%) and 2WBEG 89 (13.2%). Five cultivars, 2WBEG 70, 2WBEG 14, INIAF-Tropivalle, Atlax and INIAF-Qollpana, showed blast severities higher than 60% and were classified as highly susceptible. It has also been found that blast severity showed highly positive correlations with number of infected rachis internodes (r=0.79), number of infected spikelets per spike (r=0.86) and negative correlations with thousand kernel weight (r=-0.42), grain area (r=-0.40) and grain weight per spike (r=-0.30). The disease poses a potential threat to wheat cultivation in Bolivia that needs further research.

publication date

  • July 2019