Camacho Casas et al., 1995) or short stature (Rosielle and Brown, 1979;Baltazar et al., 1990;Camacho Casas The effects of plant height and heading date on the expression of et al., 1995); however, Arama et al. (1999) and Simó n the resistance to Septoria tritici blotch, which is caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella graminicola (Fuckel) Schroeter, in Cohn (Septoria et al. (2001) did not detect genetic associations between tritici Rob. ex Desm.), were investigated in wheat (Triticum aestivum resistance and plant height or heading date. Van Beu-L.) near isogenic lines in the Mercia and Cappelle-Desprez backningen and Kohli (1990) indicated that the associations ground and differing in dwarfing genes (Rht) or in genes for insensitivbetween plant height and heading date are due to epideity to photoperiod (Ppd ). The experimental design was a randomized miological factors. block design with four replications conducted over 2 yr. Necrosis Assuming no genetic associations, it is important to (i) percentage at boot (growth stage GS 49), milk (GS 73), and dough determine whether plant height or heading date affects stage (GS 85); area under disease progress curve (AUDPC); plant expression of resistance to Septoria tritici blotch and height; and heading date were recorded. The shortest lines, Mercia (ii) detect the influence of epidemiological or environ-Rht 12, Mercia Rht 3, and Cappelle-Desprez Rht 3, showed higher mental factors. Genotypes that are genetically similar necrosis percentage and AUDPC values than their respective controls. Mercia lines with Ppd 1 and Cappelle-Desprez Ppd1 and Ppd 2, the perimental J. Hirschhorn, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, dur-Published in Crop Sci. 44:2078-2085 (2004). ing 2000 and 2001. Plots were 1 m long by 0.60 m (three rows)