Abstract
Fusarium head blight (FHB) or scab caused by Fusarium species is an economically important disease on small grain cereal crops worldwide. Accurate assessments of the pathogenicity of fungal isolates is a key obstacle toward a better understanding of the Fusarium-wheat scab system. In this study, a new laboratory method for inoculation of wheat coleoptiles was developed, which consists of cutting off the coleoptile apex, covering the cut apex with a piece of filter paper soaked in conidial suspension, and measuring the lengths of brown lesions 7 days post inoculation. After coleoptile inoculation, distinct brown lesions in the diseased stems were observed, in which the presence of the fungus was verified by PCR amplification with F.␣graminearum Schwable-specific primers. Coleoptile inoculation of six wheat varieties indicated that a highly susceptible wheat variety was more suitable as a differentiating host for the pathogenicity assay. Analysis of the coleoptiles inoculated with a set of 58 different isolates of F. graminearum showed a significant difference in the lengths of the lesions, forming the basis by which pathogenicity of the isolates was assessed. Field inoculation of florets of three wheat varieties over 2 years revealed significant differences in pathogenicity among the 58 isolates, and that the highly resistant and highly susceptible wheat varieties were more appropriate and stable for pathogenicity assessment in field trials. Comparative analyses of eight inoculation experiments of wheat with 58 F. graminearum isolates showed significant direct linear correlations (P<0.001) between coleoptile and floret inoculations. These results indicate that the wheat coleoptile inoculation is a simple, rapid and reliable method for pathogenicity studies of F.␣graminearum in wheat.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
DW Parry P Nicholson L Mcleod (1995) ArticleTitleFusarium ear blight (scab) in small grain cereals-a review Plant Pathol 44 207–238
M McMullen R Jones D Gallenberg (1997) ArticleTitleFHB of wheat and barley: a re-emerging disease of devastating impact Plant Dis 81 1340–1348
InstitutionalAuthorNameAll China Corporation of Research on Wheat Scab (1984) ArticleTitleStudies on Fusarium species infecting wheat spikes in China J Shanghai Norm Uni 3 69–82
GH Bai G Shaner (1994) ArticleTitleScab of wheat: prospects for control Plant Dis 78 760–766
JB Yao WZ Lu (2000) ArticleTitleResearch advances in wheat breeding for scab resistance in China Jiangsu J Agr Sci 16 242–248
GH Bai AE Desjardins RD Plattner (2001) ArticleTitleDeoxynivalenol-nonproducing Fusarium graminearum causes initial infection, but does not cause disease spread in wheat spikes Mycopathol 153 91–98 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1014419323550
YC Liao YJ Yu (1985) ArticleTitleGenetic analysis of head scab resistance in local wheat cultivar Wangshuibai J Huazhong Agri Uni 4 6–14
A Mesterhazy (1995) ArticleTitleTypes and components of resistance to Fusarium head blight Plant Breed 114 377–386
M Urban S Daniels E Mott KE Hammond-Kosack (2002) ArticleTitleArabidopsis is susceptible to the cereal ear blight fungal pathogens Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum The Plant J 32 961–966 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-313X.2002.01480.x
CHA Snijders (1990) ArticleTitleSystemic fungal growth of Fusarium culmorum in stems of winter wheat J Phytopathol 129 133–140
DR Simpson HN Rezanoor DW Parry P Nicholson (2000) ArticleTitleEvidence for differential host preference in Microdochium nivale var. majus and Microdochium nivale var. nivale Plant Pathol 49 261–268 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-3059.2000.00453.x
MC Hare DW Parry MD Baker (1999) ArticleTitleThe relationship between wheat seed weight, infection by Fusarium culmorum or Microdochium nivale, germination and seedling disease Eur J Plant Pathol 105 859–866 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1008770001055
Booth C. The Genus Fusarium. England: London and Reading, The East Press Ltd; 1971
PE Nelson TA Toussoun WFO Marasas (1984) Fusarium species- an illustrated manual for identification Penn State Uni Press Uni Park
P Nicholson DR Simpson G Weston HN Rezanoor AK Lees DW Parry (1998) ArticleTitleDetection and quantification of Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium graminearum in cereals using PCR assays Physiol Mol Plant Pathol 53 17–37 Occurrence Handle10.1006/pmpp.1998.0170
JP Carter HN Razanoor AE Desjardins P Nicholson (2000) ArticleTitleVariation in Fusarium graminearum isolates from Nepal associated with their host of origin Plant Pathol 49 1–10 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-3059.2000.00482.x
YG Xu ZD Fang (1982) ArticleTitleMethods of testing the resistance of wheat varieties to the scab and the differentiation of the virulence of the causal organism Acta Phytopathol Sini 4 53–57
P Nicholson HN Rezanoor DR Simpson D Joyce (1997) ArticleTitleDifferentiation and quantification of the cereal eyespot fungi Tapesia yallundae and Tapesia acuformis using a PCR assay Plant Pathol 46 842–856 Occurrence Handle10.1046/j.1365-3059.1997.d01-74.x
PJ Sharp M Kries PR Shewry MD Gale (1988) ArticleTitleLocation of β-amylase sequences in wheat and its relatives Theor Appl Genet 75 286–290 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00303966
GL Jiang ZS Wu (1996) ArticleTitleDevelopment of scab-resistance gene pools and its application to wheat breeding J Nanjing Agri Uni 19 1–8
ZZ Liu ZY Wang DC Huang WJ Zhao XM Huang QH Yao XJ Sun YM Yang (1991) ArticleTitleGenerality of scab-resistance transgression in wheat and utilization of scab-resistance genetic resources Acta Agri Shanghai 7 IssueIDSuppl 65–70
TW Mew CM Veera Cruz RC Reyes (1981) ArticleTitleCharacterization of resistance in rice to bacterial blight Ann Phytopathol Soc Jpn 47 58–67
AL Barcellos AP Roelfs MIB Moraes-Fernandes Particlede (2000) ArticleTitleInheritance of adult plant leaf rust resistance in the Brazilian wheat variety Toropi Plant Dis 84 90–93
R Seyfarth C Feuillet G Schachermayr M Winzeler B Keller (1999) ArticleTitleDevelopment of a molecular marker for the adult plant leaf rust resistance gene Lr35 in wheat Theor Appl Genet 99 554–560 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s001220051268
ZJ Yang ZL Ren (2001) ArticleTitleChromosomal distribution and genetic expression of Lophopyrum elongatum (Host) A. Löve genes for adult plant resistance to stripe rust in wheat background Genet Res Crop Ev 48 183–187 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1011282231466
SX Liu CA Griffey MA Saghai Maroof (2001) ArticleTitleIdentification of molecular markers associated with adult plant resistance to powdery mildew in common wheat variety massey Crop Sci 41 1268–1275
YS Zhou RX Cai XA Jin (1999) ArticleTitleCharacteristics and main cultural techniques of wheat variety Yangmai 158 J Zhejiang Agri Sci 6 261–262
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wu, AB., Li, HP., Zhao, CS. et al. Comparative pathogenicity of Fusarium graminearum isolates from China revealed by wheat coleoptile and floret inoculations. Mycopathologia 160, 75–83 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-005-1153-4
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-005-1153-4