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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Crop Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #346839
Research Project: Identification of Resistance in Sorghum to Fungal Pathogens and Characterization of Pathogen Population Structure

Location: Crop Germplasm Research

Title: Screening of sorghum lines against long smut and grain mold pathogens

Author
item Prom, Louis
item CISSE, NDIAGA - Institut Senegalais De Recherches Agricoles
item PERUMAL, RAMASAMY - Kansas State University
item Cuevas, Hugo

Submitted to: International Journal of Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2017
Publication Date: 11/15/2017
Citation: Prom, L.K., Cisse, N., Perumal, R., Cuevas, H.E. 2017. Screening of sorghum lines against long smut and grain mold pathogens. International Journal of Plant Pathology. 8:23-27.

Interpretive Summary: Long smut and grain mold are two important fungal diseases of sorghum that can cost significant losses in grain quality and yield. In this study, 21 sorghum lines and hybrids from the United States and two Senegalese lines CE 151-262 and CE 196-7-2-1 were screened to identify resistance to these two diseases at the Agronomic Research Station, Bambey, Senegal, West Africa, during the 2011-2012 growing seasons. The work showed that sorghum hybrids AP 920 and AgriPro 2838 were free of long smut infection; however, all the lines were susceptible to grain mold. This work is significant because it has identified two hybrids that can be utilized by breeders in the USA and abroad to develop new long smut resistant lines and hybrids.

Technical Abstract: Long smut infection is severe in the drier regions of Africa and Asia; whereas, grain mold is the most important widespread complex disease where sorghum is grown worldwide. Both fungal diseases cause significant losses in grain yield and quality. Long smut has not yet been observed in the United States but there is no guarantee that the disease may never reach our shores. In this study, a total of 21 sorghum lines and hybrids from the United States and two Senegalese lines CE 151-262 and CE 196-7-2-1 were evaluated for resistance to long smut and grain mold at the Agronomic Research Station, Bambey, Senegal, West Africa, in 2011-2012 growing seasons. Results showed that sorghum hybrids AP 920 and AgriPro 2838 recorded zero long smut infection, while Triumph 459 was the most susceptible hybrid. All other lines and hybrids had long smut incidence ranging from 2.8 to 76.3%. None of the lines and hybrids showed resistance to natural grain mold infestation. In this work, the two Senegalese lines CE 151-262 and CE 196-7-2-1, exhibited lower grain mold scores than resistant checks SC719-11E and RTx2911. Results from this study indicate that AP 920 and AgriPro 2838 are resistant to long smut and could be used as resistance hybrids in West Africa.