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22 February 2020 Co-infection of wheat by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and Parastagonospora nodorum in the wheatbelt of Western Australia
Araz S. Abdullah, Mark R. Gibberd, John Hamblin
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Abstract

The pathogenic fungal species Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) and Parastagonospora nodorum (Pan) are common in many wheat-producing parts of the world. These two fungi cause tan spot and septoria nodorum blotch, respectively, frequently co-infecting wheat leaves. Empirical studies of this and other co-infections are rare because of the visual similarity of symptoms and the lack of robust methods for quantifying the abundance of pathogens associated with the co-infection. Here, we use a recently developed molecular method that simultaneously distinguishes and quantifies, in DNA equivalent, the abundance of Ptr and Pan, thereby allowing the prevalence of co-infection to be determined. The study examines the prevalence of co-infection under field conditions, at three widely spaced sites and on three wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars varying in disease resistance. Co-infection by Ptr and Pan was almost ubiquitous (overall prevalence 94%), and Pan DNA was detected only in association with Ptr. Although Ptr and Pan commonly co-infected, Ptr was more abundant during early and mid-season, at 80% of total fungal abundance when crops were tillering and 67% at booting stage. Pan became as abundant as Ptr when crops reached flowering. Variability in total fungal abundance and disease severity was primarily determined by cultivar; however, Ptr was the more abundant despite differences in cultivar resistance to this pathogen.

© CSIRO 2020
Araz S. Abdullah, Mark R. Gibberd, and John Hamblin "Co-infection of wheat by Pyrenophora tritici-repentis and Parastagonospora nodorum in the wheatbelt of Western Australia," Crop and Pasture Science 71(2), 119-127, (22 February 2020). https://doi.org/10.1071/CP19412
Received: 9 October 2019; Accepted: 5 December 2019; Published: 22 February 2020
KEYWORDS
disease complex of plants,
multi-pathogen infections,
pathogen diversity,
pathogen interactions,
yellow spot.
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