ARS | Publication request: MOLECULAR GENETIC EVALUATION OF SORGHUM GERMPLASM DIFFERING IN RESPONSE TO THREE FUNGAL DISEASES: ANTHRACNOSE, GRAIN MOLD AND RUST

Submitted to: American Association of Plant Physiologists Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 13, 2004
Publication Date: July 28, 2004
Citation: Wang, M.L., Dean, R., Erpelding, J.E., Pederson, G.A. 2004. Molecular genetic evaluation of sorghum germplasm differing in response to three fungal diseases: anthracnose, grain mold and rust. American Association of Plant Physiologists Proceedings. Plant Biology 2004, page 128; poster 509.

Technical Abstract: Sorghum is one of the major crops in the world and is well adaptive to environmental extremes. However, sorghum diseases cause significant yield losses annually. Limited information is available of genetic diversity for disease resistance that could benefit sorghum improvement programs. Ninety-six sorghum accessions were selected from the US National Plant Germplasm based on the reported response in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) to three fungal diseases, anthracnose (Colletotrichum sublineolum), grain mold and rust (Puccinia purpurea). These accessions were characterized by a set of 40 DNA markers to evaluate diversity in relation to disease repsonse. We intend to (1) identify accessions resistant to anthracnose, grain mold and rust; (2) classify the genetic resources for disease resistance; (3) identify markers associated with resistance for maker assisted selection (MAS); and (4) associate different responses to disease with haplotypes. Acknowledgements: The authors gratefully thank Ms. Meredith Reed for her excellent assistance for Beckman analysis; Ms. Merrelyn Spinks for her help searching the GRIN database, and Ms. Phiffie Vankus and Mr. David Pinnow for their help in germination of sorghum seeds.