Search

Scald caused by the fungal pathogen Rhynchosporium commune is a significant foliar disease affecting barley production on a global scale, and it leads to substantial reductions in both yield and quality of barley. In the current study, the reactions of 40 Turkish barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) varieties to scald were evaluated under natural conditions in Çanakkale and Kırşehir in 2021–2022, and Antalya and Siirt locations in 2022–2023 growing seasons. Field trials were conducted according to randomized block design with three replications in each year; the spore concentration was 1 × 106 spores per mL, and it was applied to the varieties three times at different growth stages. The reactions of barley varieties were assessed using a newly designed two-digit scale ranging from 11 to 99. Based on their scale values, the varieties were categorized as immune (0), resistant (11–35), moderately resistant (36–55), moderately susceptible (56–75), and susceptible (76–99). In addition, genotype plus genotype-by-environment (GGE) interactions of scale values were analyzed through GGE Biplot and explained 97.65% of the total variation. The ranking of genotypes based on scale groups generally showed consistency with GGE Biplot results, but GGE Biplot offered a more detailed classification, especially for moderately susceptible varieties. The relationship between the two methods indicated the relative stability of variety reactions, as GGE Biplot analysis also considered genotype stability. In conclusion, the use of the newly developed scale for evaluating scald reactions in barley gives reliable results. In addition, identified resistant varieties can serve as valuable genetic resources for further breeding studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spot blotch caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana is a destructive disease of wheat worldwide. This study investigated the aggressiveness of B. sorokiniana isolates from different wheat-growing areas of Bolu province in Turkey on the cultivar Seri-82. Host susceptibility of 55 wheat cultivars was evaluated against the most aggressive isolate. Our results indicated that the cultivars Anafarta and Koç-2015 were the most resistant. A specific and sensitive qPCR assay was developed for detecting the pathogen in plant tissues and evaluating wheat plants with different resistance levels. Three primer sets, BsGAPDHF/BsGAPDHR, BsITSF/BsITSR, and BsSSUF/BsSSUR, were designed based on glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, internal transcribed spacers, and 18S rRNA loci of B. sorokiniana with detection limits of 1, 0.1, and 0.1 pg of pathogen DNA, respectively. The qPCR assay was highly sensitive and did not amplify DNA from the other closely related fungal species and host plants. The protocol differentiated wheat plants with varying degrees of resistance. The assay developed a useful tool for the quantification of the pathogen in the early stages of infection and may provide a significant contribution to a more efficient selection of wheat genotypes in breeding studies. In the present study, expression levels of PR proteins, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase enzymes were upregulated in Anafarta (resistant) and Nenehatun (susceptible) cultivars at different post-infection time points, but more induced in the susceptible cultivar. The results showed considerable variation in the expression levels and timing of defense genes in both cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]