Investigating the rate of fungal growth during the latent period of Zymoseptoria tritici in winter wheat cultivars

Connolly, Cliona (2017) Investigating the rate of fungal growth during the latent period of Zymoseptoria tritici in winter wheat cultivars. Masters thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Winter wheat is one of the most important tillage crops in Ireland and Septoria tritici blotch (STB) resistance is a key beneficial trait for wheat grown there, owing to a climate that facilitates high disease pressure, its impact on crop yield and associated costs of protecting crops against disease Zymoseptoria tritici, the causative pathogen of STB grows inside host tissues for typically 10-14 days before disease symptoms become visible, beginning with chlorosis of the leaf, then progressing to necrosis and finally small black pycnidia appear Little fungal biomass accumulates during this latent period (LP), with large increases in fungal growth visible as the fungus shifts into the necrotrophic stage. However, a steady increase in Z. tritici DNA during the LP has been detected, using quantitative PCR. Throughout the course of this research the LP was defined as the time from infection by Z. tritici to the appearance of pycnidia on the leaf surface. Through a combination of laboratory, glasshouse and field experimentation in Ireland and England, this research provided a new insight into the LP of Z. tritici, by identifying a wide range of LP among diverse cultivars in glasshouse conditions [Chapter 2], substantial variation in LP and the rate of disease progression between seven cultivars in field conditions [Chapter 3] and the high correlation between Cq values, fungal growth and disease symptoms, indicating the potential for qPCR to be used to estimate the LP of STB [Chapter 4].

Latent periods vary between cultivars and knowledge of the length of the LP assists in identifying the factors which cause infection. Critically, the length of the LP is an important epidemiological factor in subsequent pathogen spread and the generation of epidemics. Therefore, identifying cultivars with extended LP’s will in future increase opportunities to develop STB resistance in winter wheat populations.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
Depositing User:	Users 9280 not found.
Date Deposited:	09 Oct 2018 12:53
Last Modified:	09 Oct 2018 12:53
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/68436
DOI:

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