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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #258934

Title: Historical durability of resistance to wheat diseases in Kansas

Author
item BOCKUS, WILLIAM - Kansas State University
item DE WOLF, ERIC - Kansas State University
item GILL, BICKRAM - Kansas State University
item FRITZ, ALLAN - Kansas State University
item JARDINE, DOUGLIS - Kansas State University
item STACK, JAMES - Kansas State University
item Bowden, Robert
item MARTIN, JOE - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Plant Management Network
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/22/2011
Publication Date: 8/2/2011
Citation: Bockus, W.W., De Wolf, E., Gill, B., Fritz, A.K., Jardine, D.J., Stack, J., Bowden, R.L., Martin, J.T. 2011. Historical durability of resistance to wheat diseases in Kansas. Plant Management Network. DOI: 10.1094/PHP-2011-0802-01-RV.

Interpretive Summary: n/a

Technical Abstract: In Kansas, estimated annual losses from wheat diseases averaged about 16% from 1976 through 1988; however, losses have declined to about 10% in recent years. This decline is mainly due to wheat breeders increasing their concentration on developing cultivars with resistance to important diseases. Data from annual KSU Extension publications were used to track disease ratings over time for individual wheat cultivars to nine diseases. Resistance in a cultivar to a disease was considered of low durability if the disease rating rapidly went from low to high soon after the release of the cultivar. Durability was considered moderate if the rating for a cultivar was low for a number of years after its release and then rose, or if the rise was gradual over several years. Durability was considered high if the resistance rating was consistently low over many years or only showed an inconsequential increase. The durability of resistance in Kansas cultivars has been low, moderate, or high depending upon the disease and the cultivar. Durability of resistance to leaf rust has been low for some cultivars but moderate for others. However, durability of resistance to stem and stripe rusts has been high, although there may be a recent virulence shift in the stripe rust pathogen which would indicate only moderate durability of resistance toward that disease. Durability of resistance toward tan spot, Septoria tritici blotch, wheat soilborne mosaic, wheat spindle streak mosaic, and barley yellow dwarf has been high although a few, slight increases in disease ratings for certain cultivars have been observed. Resistance to wheat streak mosaic has been of high durability in some cultivars but others have shown significant increases in ratings over the years and durability in those cultivars would be classified as moderate. The effort by breeders to produce cultivars with resistance to important Kansas diseases has resulted in annual savings of about 58 million dollars. However, just as important as the incorporation of resistance into those cultivars is the moderate to high durability of the resistance which has allowed for ongoing management of many of these diseases.