Location: Cereal Crops Improvement Research
Project Number: 3060-22000-051-011-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2025
End Date: Jan 31, 2027
Objective:
1. Expand the collection and genotyping of Xanthomonas translucens pv. translucens (Xtt) isolates from emerging barley-producing areas of North Dakota in 2025 and subsequent years.
2. Identify nonhost resistance genes from screened ancestral wheat species (e.g., Aegilops tauschii) for resistance to Xtt.
3. Investigate the mechanisms of Xtt seed transmission and establishment using molecular tagging with DNA barcoding and fluorescent labeling.
4. Investigate molecular microbe-to-microbe interaction of microbiome inhibitors of Xtt and Bacterial Leaf Streak
Approach:
Barley pests are responsible for significant annual yield reductions, leading to substantial financial losses ranging from $36 to $118 million nationwide for growers. This Cooperative Agreement (CA) aims to empower scientists from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and North Dakota State University to conduct comprehensive research on key barley pathogens within the state of North Dakota. The primary focus will be on Bacterial Leaf streak of barley ocaused by Xanthomonas translucens pv. translucens.
Key activities include:
• Pathogen Collection and Characterization: Field isolates of Xtt and other pathogens will be collected and assessed for virulence and genetic diversity.
• Resistance Screening: A wide range of barley genotypes and ancestral lines will be tested for resistance in greenhouse and field trials.
• Molecular Diagnostics and Tagging: DNA barcoding and fluorescent labeling will be used to track seed-borne transmission pathways of Xtt.
• Genotyping and Comparative Analysis: Isolate and host genotyping will enable the identification of key resistance loci and virulence traits.
• Tagging and RNA-Seq of co-cultivation of Xtt and antagonistic microbes: In co-culture some microbes including Cff and Pa aggressively suppress Xtt and other BLS pathogens. Gene expression will be utilized to investigate genes responsible for this suppression.
This work will support the development of diagnostic tools and durable resistance, inform disease management, and contribute to public scientific knowledge.