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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » WHGQ » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317400
Title: Determination of the role of Berberis spp. in wheat stem rust in China

Author
item ZHAO, J - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item ZHAO, S - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item Chen, Xianming
item WANG, Z - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item WANG, L - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item YAO, J - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item CHEN, W - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item HUANG, L - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University
item KANG, Z - Northwest Agriculture And Forestry University

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/23/2014
Publication Date: 8/1/2015
Citation: Zhao, J., Zhao, S.L., Chen, X., Wang, Z.Y., Wang, L., Yao, J.N., Chen, W., Huang, L.L., Kang, Z.K. 2015. Determination of the role of Berberis spp. in wheat stem rust in China. Plant Disease. 99(11):1113-1117.

Interpretive Summary: Previous studies on the relationship of barberry and wheat stem rust suggested that although some barberry species can serve as alternate hosts for the stem rust fungus, barberry plants play no role in wheat stem rust development and virulence variation of the pathogen in China. In the present study, severe rust infections on five species of barberry plants were observed during field surveys in 2011 and 2012. Through artificial inoculation of wheat seedlings under greenhouse conditions with rust spores from naturally infected barberry plants, 185 isolates of the stem rust pathogen were obtained; 27 were tested on a set of wheat genotypes used to differentiate the pathogen races in China. Eighteen races were identified, 8 were previously umlmpwn. In addition to the information of virulence/avirulence patterns on the Chinese differentials, none of the races were virulent to resistance gene Sr31. The virulence frequencies based on individual resistance genes or differentials ranged from 0 to 96%. Using molecular markers for the fungus, 75 out of 4,036 samples of single rust pustules were identified as the stem rust pathogen. The low detectable rate was verified based on both infection and molecular marker tests. This observation may be correlated with the low levels of wheat stem rust in the surveyed regions. This study shows that the stem rust fungus can produce new races through sexual reproduction on barberry plants in China.

Technical Abstract: Previous studies on the relationship of barberry (Berberis spp.) and wheat stem rust suggested that although some barberry species can serve as alternate hosts for the stem rust fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), barberry plants play no role in wheat stem rust development and virulence variation of Pgt in China. In the present study, severe rust infections on B. shensiana, B. brachypoda, B. potaninii, B. soulieana, and B. aggregata were observed during field surveys in 2011 and 2012. Through artificial inoculation of wheat seedlings (cv. Mingxian 25 169) under greenhouse conditions with aeciospores from naturally infected barberry plants, 185 isolates of P. graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt) were obtained. From the 27 selected isolates that were tested on a set of wheat genotypes used to differentiate Pgt races in China, 18 races were identified, of which 8 races were new and others were of Chinese 21 and 34 race groups. In addition to the information of virulence/avirulence patterns on the Chinese differentials, none of the races were virulent to resistance gene Sr31. The virulence frequencies based on individual Sr genes or differentials ranged from 0 to 96%. Using molecular markers for Pgt, 75 out of 4,036 samples of single aecia were identified as Pgt. The low detectable rate of Pgt was verified based on both infection and molecular marker tests. This observation may be correlated with the low levels of wheat stem rust in the surveyed regions. This study shows that Pgt can produce new races through sexual reproduction on Berberis spp. in China.