Location: Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research
Project Number: 2050-21000-038-005-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2019
End Date: Jun 30, 2023
Objective:
Discover, characterize, develop, and deploy effective resistance against barley stripe rust (BSR) (incited by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei) to protect U.S. barley production via the following activities by participating in a coordinated germplasm evaluation effort involving USDA-ARS Aberdeen and Pullman; Oregon State University, Corvallis; and University of California, Davis; and 2) Collaborate with participating scientists in the development and deployment of germplasm resistant to BSR.
Per PDRAM 19c, dated 3/9/2021: This funding will enhance Objective 1: “Develop barley and oat germplasm with increased yield, better quality, and superior or novel resistances to biotic and abiotic stresses” and Objective 2: “Translate new, sequence-based information into breeder-friendly tools for crop improvement in barley and oats” by adding information to the oat gene bank while evaluating it for new breeding targets, identifying molecular genetic markers suitable for marker-assisted selection, and releasing improved oat germplasm for both traditional and organic cropping systems.
Approach:
Coordinate germplasm assembly, testing protocols, and final data analysis and dissemination. Test germplasm, using a set of materials, phenotyping protocols, and experimental designs that are common to the three test locations (Davis, CA; Mt. Vernon, WA; and Corvallis, OR). Phenotyping will be done in single-row plots using procedures that are standard at each location. Susceptible spreader rows composed of susceptible varieties, and artificial inoculation (if warranted) will be used to facilitate infection. Minimum data: barley stripe rust severity at one assessment date, heading date, other diseases. Disease samples will be sent to the USDA-ARS Pullman lab for race identification. Several categories of germplasm will be evaluated: (A) PNW BSR screening trial: This nursery, including checks, will consist of ~ 40 entries composed of mixture of new and previously-tested entries from California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington public breeding programs, resistant and susceptible checks, and a set of differentials. This trial will be grown at each location using a minimum of three replicates. (B) Novel germplasm/population screening: These nurseries, consisting of GWAS panels and/or biparental populations, will be used to identify new sources of resistance, elucidate the genetics of barley stripe rust resistance, and validate resistance. The materials will be assessed using Type II augmented designs or replicated complete block designs. For the 2020/2021 season OSU will provide the Cycle III population for a second year of evaluation and will provide the Cycle IV population of doubled haploids segregating for resistance to multiple diseases (stripe rust, TTKK stem rust, scald, Fusarium Head Blight, and/or leaf rust). Data and analyses will be posted at http://barleyworld.org/barley-stripe-rust-bsr. When sufficient data are generated, manuscripts will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
In addition to the coordinated barley disease evaluation nursery, in FY21 this project will evaluate oat germplasm for response to the yellow dwarf virus complex (BYDV-CYDV), which causes dwarfing and leaf yellowing/reddening that negatively impacts forage quality. Davis, CA will serve as a sentinel location to detect new strains of crown rust and stem rust diseases coming to the U.S. which can cause 35% grain yield reduction in susceptible varieties. Samples of oat leaf tissue infected with crown rust and stem rust will be submitted to the ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory in St. Paul, MN for comparison against known races.
