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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Crop Production and Pest Control Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #402867
Research Project: Fungal Host-Pathogen Interactions and Disease Resistance in Cereal Crops

Location: Crop Production and Pest Control Research

Title: Tar Spot Disease Severity Influences Phyllosphere-Associated Bacterial and Fungal Microbiomes

Author
item Singh, Raksha
item Crane, Charles
item SHIM, SUJOUNG - Purdue University
item TELENKO, DARCY - Purdue University
item Goodwin, Stephen - Steve

Submitted to: International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/9/2023
Publication Date: 8/20/2023
Citation: Singh, R., Crane, C.F., Shim, S., Telenko, D.E., Goodwin, S.B. 2023. Tar Spot Disease Severity Influences Phyllosphere-Associated Bacterial and Fungal Microbiomes. International Congress of Plant Pathology Abstracts and Proceedings. ABSTRACT.

Interpretive Summary: N/A

Technical Abstract: Tar spot, caused by the obligate fungal pathogen Phyllachora maydis, is a foliar disease of corn that since 2015 has become a major concern in the USA. To test for interactions between other microbes and the tar spot pathogen, phyllosphere microbiomes were compared among corn inbreds with differential tar spot symptoms under natural infestation in the field. Leaf samples from sixteen inbred lines were assessed for tar spot symptoms, and bacterial and fungal microbiomes were characterized. Comparison of the phyllosphere microbiomes revealed distinct bacterial and fungal communities between resistant and susceptible lines. Bacterial and fungal species richness was significantly higher in resistant compared to susceptible inbred lines. In contrast, there were no clear differences in diversity when including evenness of bacterial communities between the resistant and susceptible lines. Diversity of fungal communities differed significantly, particularly between twelve of the fourteen susceptible versus resistant lines. Many of the bacterial and fungal species showed statistically significant correlations with P. maydis reads. Those that are positively associated could be mycoparasites that are more common with a more abundant food source. Species with significant negative correlations could be antagonistic with a potential for biocontrol. Further analyses of these distinct microbiota could lead to a better understanding of the potential role of foliar microbiomes on tar spot.