Managing spot blotch disease in wheat: Conventional to molecular aspects

Abstract

Spot blotch (SB) caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (teleomorph Cochliobolus sativus) is one of the devastating diseases of wheat in the warm and humid growing areas around the world. B. sorokiniana can infect leaves, stem, roots, rachis and seeds, and is able to produce toxins like helminthosporol and sorokinianin. No wheat variety is immune to SB; hence, an integrated disease management strategy is indispensable in disease prone areas. A range of fungicides, especially the triazole group, have shown good effects in reducing the disease, and crop-rotation, tillage and early sowing are among the favorable cultural management methods. Resistance is mostly quantitative, being governed by QTLs with minor effects, mapped on all the wheat chromosomes. Only four QTLs with major effects have been designated as Sb1 through Sb4. Despite, marker assisted breeding for SB resistance in wheat is scarce. Better understanding of wheat genome assemblies, functional genomics and cloning of resistance genes will further accelerate breeding for SB resistance in wheat.

Unraveling the dynamics of wheat leaf blight complex: isolation, characterization, and insights into pathogen population under Indian conditions

“…The varied pathogenicity in isolates reveals a spectrum of virulence factors impacting wheat diseases. Notably, some isolates demonstrated pathogenicity on moderately resistant varieties, offering insights into the shift from resistant to moderately resistant status shortly after varietal release ( Roy et al, 2023 ). This understanding is crucial for disease management, emphasizing the necessity of customized approaches such as resistant cultivars and specific fungicides.…”

“…For all the isolates obtained, a pathogenicity test was conducted during the Rabi season of 2021-2022 under polyhouse conditions using the susceptible wheat variety 'Sonalika' and the moderately resistant variety "HD2733" (Verma et al, 2020). Using both a moderately resistant and susceptible variety for pathogenicity assessment aligns with the traits observed in commercially grown cultivars, which display a spectrum from moderately resistant to susceptible (Roy et al, 2023). The dual variety approach precisely captures the common dynamics of commercial wheat cultivation, ensuring the practical relevance of our study.…”

Transcriptome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Genes Encoding Defense-Related Peptides of Filipendula ulmaria in Response to Bipolaris sorokiniana Infection

“…To control diseases, various strategies are used in agriculture. One of the most potent of them is chemical control, which includes the use of fungicides which considerably decrease crop losses [6]. Although fungicides prevent the spread of infection, their use is unsafe since they affect beneficial soil microbiota, accumulate in food chains disturbing the ecological balance, and promote the appearance of resistant strains of pathogens.…”

WheatTaNADPOpromotes spot blotch resistance

“…Using disease-resistant varieties remains the most economical and effective method for controlling wheat diseases caused by B. sorokiniana. However, current germplasm resources for B. sorokiniana-resistant wheat are limited, and research on resistance genetic loci is lagging (Roy et al, 2023;Su et al, 2021). Early studies introduced resistance genes to common root rot from wheat relatives like Thinopyrum ponticum (Li et al, 2004).…”