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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Aberdeen, Idaho » Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #145171
Title: RESISTANCE TO RUSSIAN WHEAT APHID FEEDING DAMAGE DERIVED FROM STARS 9301B PROTECTS AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND MALTING QUALITY WHEN TRANSFERRED TO ADAPTED BARLEY GERMPLASM

Author
item Bregitzer, Paul
item Mornhinweg, Dolores - Do
item JONES, BERNE - RETIRED ARS-MADISON, WI

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2003
Publication Date: 11/1/2003
Citation: Bregitzer, P.P., Mornhinweg, D.W., Jones, B.L. 2003. Resistance to russian wheat aphid feeding damage derived from STARS 9301b protects agronomic performance and malting quality when transferred to adapted barley germplasm. Crop Science. V. 43, No. 6. pp. 2050-2057 V.

Interpretive Summary: The Russian wheat aphid (RWA) is a destructive pest of barley, and certain parts of the Western United States experience recurring infestations of this insect pest. Reductions in grain yield and quality can be so severe that barley producers in certain areas have either quit growing barley, or they routinely must use expensive and environmentally undesirable insecticides for RWA control. Certain strains of barley held in the National Small Grains Collection of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service have been found to be highly resistant to damage caused by RWA feeding, but these barley strains are "wild" and do not possess the agronomic characteristic (such as high yield) and quality characteristics necessary for successful commercial production. One of these resistant strains was crossed with several types of commercially acceptable barley, and several new, RWA resistant lines were identified that appeared to be improved with respect to the characteristics important for commercial production. This study was carried out to determine how well these new lines would perform with respect to agronomic and malting qualities, both with and without RWA infestation. We found that the new lines performed very well, and were extremely resistant to RWA damage. Additional breeding work will be necessary prior to the release of an acceptable RWA-resistant cultivar; however, these results indicate that it will be possible to produce such a cultivar in the near future.

Technical Abstract: Infestations of Russian wheat aphid (RWA), Diruaphis noxia (Mordvilko), reduce grain yield and quality of barley, and have induced producers in some areas to cease growing barley. No resistant barley cultivars that are adapted to North America exist. Resistance from STARS 9301B was transferred into adapted germplasm via backcrossing. Our objective was to determine the potential utility of this resistance for the protection of yield and malting quality in adapted germplasm. We studied the effect of RWA infestations on grain yield and malting quality of STARS 9301B, the susceptible adapted parents 88Y315 and 'Garnet', and five backcross-derived progeny. Four of the backcross-derived lines were rated as highly resistant and one as moderately resistant, and were comparable to their recurrent parents with respect to agaronomic performances and malting qualities. When infested at the heading to boot stage, STARS 9301B, and the highly resistant progeny lines had negligible reductions in agronomic performances and malting qualities; slightly greater reductions were observed for the susceptible parents and the moderately resistant progeny line. When infested at the three- to six-leaf stage, STARS 9301B and the resistant backcross-derived lines showed relatively small reductions in their agronomic performances and malting qualities. In sharp contrast, however, the susceptible parents, and to a lesser extent the moderately resistant progeny line, showed moderate to severe leaf streaking and rolling, head trapping, and reductions in their agronomic performances and malting qualities. STARS 9301B should provide a valuable source of resistance to RWA damage.