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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #302717
Title: Differential resistance to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) in collections of basin wild rye (Leymus cinereus)

Author
item Dugan, Frank
item Cashman, Michael
item Chen, Xianming
item Johnson, Richard
item WANG, MEINAN - Washington State University

Submitted to: Plant Health Progress
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/19/2014
Publication Date: 6/23/2014
Citation: Dugan, F.M., Cashman, M.J., Chen, X., Johnson, R.C., Wang, M. 2014. Differential resistance to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) in collections of basin wild rye (Leymus cinereus). Plant Health Progress. 15:97-102.

Interpretive Summary: Basin wild rye (Leymus cinereus) is a temperate zone grass, sometimes regarded as a weed (especially in plantings of cereals) and sometimes as a forage and range grass. It is capable of forming hybrids with other grasses such as beardless wild rye, giant wild rye, foxtail barley, Canada wild rye and other grasses, some of which can in turn form hybrids with common barley. Basin wild rye can also be susceptible to stripe rust (agent, Puccinia striiformis), a disease of great importance in barley and wheat. Accordingly, identification of variation in susceptibility to stripe rust in Basin wild rye is of interest. In 111 collections of Basin wild rye planted in a field in Pullman WA, significant variation in susceptibility to natural infection by stripe rust was observed in 2011, 2012 and 2013, with results significantly correlated between successive years. Germplasm from collections will be made available through the National Plant Germplasm System.

Technical Abstract: Differential resistance to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) in a planting of 111 wild collections of Basin wild rye (Leymus cinereus) was noted 2011-2013. In 2011, rust severity was rated on a scale of 1-9. Much lighter infection in 2012 and 2013 was rated as number of leaves per plant divided by plant circumference (to adjust for plant size). Effect of collection was significant in 2011 (P = 0.0042), 2012 (P = 0.0032), and 2013 (P = 0.0095) with a relatively weak (0.23) but significant (P = 0.0149) correlation between 2011 and 2012, and a stronger (0.38) and highly significant (P < 0.0001) correlation between 2012 and 2013. Correlation between results of 2011 and 2013 was near zero and insignificant unless the ratings from 2011 were adjusted for plant size. Representative resistant and susceptible collections will be conserved as accessions in the National Plant Germplasm System.