Development of ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabiei) in chickpea as affected by host resistance and plant age

Ascochyta blight caused by Ascochyta rabiei, is the most destructive disease in many chickpea growing countries. Disease development varies with the growth stage and host resistance. Hence, disease development was studied in cvs ICCX 810800 (resistant), ICCV 90201 (moderately resistant), C 235 (moderately susceptible), ICCV 96029 and Pb 7 (susceptible) under controlled environment (ICRISAT, Patencheru) and field conditions (Dhaulakuan, Himachal Pradesh) at seedling, post-seedling, vegetative, flowering and podding stages. Under controlled environment, the incubation period and terminal disease reaction (TDR) did not vary significantly at different growth stages against virulent isolate AB 4. Cultivars ICCX 810800, ICCV 90201 and C 235 showed a significantly longer incubation period than the susceptible cv. Pb 7. Cultivar ICCX 810800 showed slow disease progress and the least TDR. Field experiments were conducted during the 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 growing seasons. During 2003–2004, TDR was higher in plants inoculated at podding and the flowering stage and the lowest disease reaction was recorded in ICCX 810800. A severe epidemic during 2004–2005 was attributed to the favourable temperature, humidity and well distributed high rainfall. TDR did not differ significantly at any of the growth stages in susceptible cvs ICCV 96029 and Pb 7. With respect to seeding date and cultivar, the highest yield was recorded in the early-sown crop (1,276.7 kg ha⁻¹) and in ICCV 90201 (1,799.3 kg ha⁻¹), respectively. The yields were greatly reduced in all the cultivars during 2004–2005 and the highest yield was recorded in ICCX 810800 (524.7 kg ha⁻¹). Integrated disease management using resistant cultivars, optimum sowing period and foliar application of fungicides will improve chickpea production. The experiment under controlled environment and field conditions (during the epidemic year) showed a similar disease development.     

Validation of a QTL for resistance to ascochyta blight linked to resistance to fusarium wilt race 5 in chickpea (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cicer arietinum</Emphasis> L.)

Ascochyta blight caused by Ascochyta rabiei and fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum. f. sp. ciceris are the two most serious diseases of chickpea (Cicer arietinum). Quantitative trait loci (QTL) or genes for ascochyta blight resistance and a cluster of resistance genes for several fusarium wilt races (foc1, foc3, foc4 and foc5) located on LG2 of the chickpea map have been reported independently. In order to validate these results and study the linkage relationship between the loci that confer resistance to blight and wilt, an intraspecific chickpea recombinant inbred lines (RIL) population that segregates for resistance to both diseases was studied. A new LG2 was established using sequence tagged microsatellite sites (STMS) markers selected from other chickpea maps. Resistance to race 5 of F. oxysporum (foc5) was inherited as a single gene and mapped to LG2, flanked by the STMS markers TA110 (6.5 cM apart) and TA59 (8.9 cM apart). A QTL for resistance to ascochyta blight (QTL_AR3) was also detected on LG2 using evaluation data obtained separately in two cropping seasons. This genomic region, where QTL_AR3 is located, was highly saturated with STMS markers. STMS TA194 appeared tightly linked to QTL_AR3 and was flanked by the STMS markers TR58 and TS82 (6.5 cM apart). The genetic distance between foc5 and QTL_AR3 peak was around 24 cM including six markers within this interval. The markers linked to both loci could facilitate the pyramiding of resistance genes for both diseases through MAS.     

Mating type, pathotype and RAPDs analysis inDidymella rabiei, the agent of ascochyta blight of chickpea

Eleven pathotype groups (A-K), including five not previously reported, ofDidymella rabiei (anamorphAscochyta rabiei), representing isolates of the pathogen from Ascochyta blight-affected chickpeas mainly from India, Pakistan, Spain and the USA, were characterized using 44 single-spore isolates tested against seven differential chickpea lines. Of 48 isolates tested for mating type, 58% belonged to MAT 1-1 and 42% to MAT 1-2. Thirty-nineD. rabiei isolates, as well as two isolates ofAscochyta pisi and six isolates of unrelated fungi, were analyzed using Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) employing five primers (P2 at 40°C, and OPA3, OPC1, OPC11 and OPC20 at 35°C). Computer cluster analysis (UPGMA / NTSYS-PC) detected a relatively low level of polymorphism among all theD. rabiei isolates, although atca 7% dissimilarity,ca 10 RAPD groups [I-X] were demarcated, as well as subclustering within the larger groups. By the same criteria, the maximum dissimilarity for the whole population ofD. rabiei isolates wasca 13%. No correlation was found between different RAPD groups, pathotype, or mating type ofD. rabiei, although some evidence of clustering based on geographic origin was detected. The use of RAPDs enabled us to identify specific DNA fragments that may have a potential use as genetic markers in sexual crosses, but none which could be used as virulence markers.     

The role of seedling infection in epiphytotics of ascochyta blight on chickpea

Didymella rabiei, the causal agent of ascochyta blight, survives on infected seeds and seedlings. Diseased seedlings originating from infected seeds occasionally serve as the source for primary infection in chickpea crops. Experiments carried out independently in Australia and in Israel provided quantitative information on the temporal and spatial distribution of ascochyta blight from initial infections and on the relationship between the amount of initial infection and the intensity of subsequent epiphytotics for cultivars differing in susceptibility to the pathogen. Disease spread over short distances (<10 m) from individual primary infections, was governed by rain and wind, and was up to five times greater down-wind than up-wind. Cultivar response to D. rabiei significantly affected the distance and area over which disease spread and the intensity of the disease on infected plants. At onset of the epiphytotic, the relationship between disease spread and time was exponential (P < 0.05; R ² > 0.95) and the area of the resulting foci was over 10 times greater in susceptible cultivars than in resistant cultivars. Regression equations showed the relationship between disease severity and the distance from the focus-plants was inverse-linear for all cultivars tested (P < 0.05). A simulation model based on the experimental data revealed that even if primary infection is infrequent (less than 1% of plants), the consequences are potentially devastating when susceptible cultivars are used. The epidemiological information and simulation model generated by this study provide an increased understanding of the development of an epiphytotic in which the primary foci of disease originate from infected chickpea seedlings.     

Airborne ascospores ofDidymella rabiei as a major primary inoculum for Ascochyta blight epidemics in chickpea crops in southern Spain

The incidence and severity of Ascochyta blight in potted chickpea trap plants exposed for 1-wk periods near infested chickpea debris in Córdoba, Spain, or in chickpea trap crops at least 100 m from infested chickpea debris in several locations in southern Spain were correlated with pseudothecial maturity and ascospore production ofDidymella rabiei from nearby chickpea debris. The period of ascospore availability varied from January to May and depended on rain and maturity of pseudothecia. The airborne concentration of ascospores ofD. rabiei was also monitored in 1988. Ascospores were trapped mostly from the beginning of January to late February; this period coincided with that of maturity of pseudothecia on the chickpea debris. Most ascospores were trapped on rainy days during daylight and 70% were trapped between 12.00 and 18.00 h. Autumn-winter sowings of chickpea were exposed longer to ascospore inoculum than the more traditional spring sowings because the autumn-winter sowings were exposed to the entire period of ascospore production on infested chickpea debris lying on the soil surface.     

Genetic and pathogenic diversity within Ascochyta rabiei(Pass.) Lab. populations in Pakistan causing blight of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Pathogenic and genetic diversity in Ascochyta rabiei populations in Pakistan were evaluated. Biological pathotyping of 130 A. rabiei isolates (obtained from hierarchically collected samples) was conducted on a set of three chickpea differentials, i.e. ILC 1929 (susceptible), ILC 482 (tolerant) and ILC 3279 (resistant), under controlled conditions. Disease severity data were recorded 12 days after inoculation. Statistical analysis grouped the isolates into three pathotype classes. Four isolates belonged to pathotype I (least aggressive), 79 isolates to pathotype II (medium aggressive) and 47 isolates to pathotype-III (highly aggressive).Genetic analysis was performed using RAPDs and oligonucleotide fingerprinting, where Hinf I-digested DNA was hybridized to the³²P-endlabeled oligonucleotide probes (CAA)₅, (GAA)₅, (GA)₈, (CA)₈and (GATA)₄. Dendrograms produced by cluster analysis discriminated 46 genotypes in the A. rabiei population of Pakistan. Genetic distances and relatedness between isolates were calculated. At a genetic distance of 0.3, genotypes were divided into six distinct genotype groups A, B, C, D, E and F containing 16, 11, 2, 5, 5 and 7 isolates, respectively. Most of the genotypes were area specific or predominated in certain areas but did not belong to a distinct pathotype, while most of the aggressive isolates (pathotype III) occurred in Northern Punjab and in the North Western Frontier Province.     

Biotic factors affecting the expression of partial resistance in pea to ascochyta blight in a detached stipule assay

The expression of partial resistance in pea to ascochyta blight (caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes) was studied in a detached stipule assay by quantifying two resistance components (fleck coalescence and lesion expansion) using the method of point inoculation of stipules. Factors determining optimal conditions for the observation of partial resistance are spore concentration, the age of the fungal culture prior to spore harvest and the pathogenicity of the isolate used for testing. Partial resistance was not expressed when spore concentration was high or when the selected isolate was aggressive. Furthermore, assessments of components of partial resistance were highly correlated with disease severity in a seedling test. A screening protocol was developed based on inoculations of detached stipules to study partial resistance in pea. To simplify the rating process, a more comprehensive disease rating scale which took into account fleck coalescence and lesion expansion was tested by screening a large number of genotypes.     

Sympatric ascochyta complex of wild Cicer judaicum and domesticated chickpea

The aim of this study was to isolate, identify and characterize ascochyta blight pathogens from Cicer judaicum , a wild annual Cicer species which grows in Israel and other Mediterranean countries in sympatric distribution with legume crops, and determine their virulence and aggressiveness to other wild and domesticated legumes. Native C. judaicum plants exhibited symptoms resembling ascochyta diseases of grain legume crops. Two distinct pathogens were isolated and identified as Phoma pinodella and Didymella rabiei using morphological and molecular tools; their infectivity was verified using Koch's postulates. The virulence of these pathogens was examined on 13 legume species, of which P. pinodella was virulent to Pisum sativum , P. fulvum , C. judaicum , C. arietinum , C. reticulatum , C. pinnatifidum and C. bijugum . Didymella rabiei infected all these Cicer species, but not the other legume species tested. Aggressiveness of the pathogens was tested on wild and domesticated chickpea and pea. Didymella rabiei isolated from C. judaicum had significantly higher ( P  < 0·001) aggressiveness than P. pinodella from C. judaicum on both wild and domesticated chickpea. Disease severity on the former species ranged from 62·5% to 70% and on the latter from 41% to 56%. Phoma pinodella isolates from C. judaicum were more aggressive on C. arietinum and P. sativum than on C. judaicum and P. fulvum . Results of the current study suggest that C. judaicum may serve as an alternative host to ascochyta pathogens that endanger chickpea and possibly other crops and wild species growing in close proximity.     

Phytotoxicity of solanapyrones A and B produced by the chickpea pathogen Ascochyta rabiei(Pass.) Labr. and the apparent metabolism of solanapyrone A by chickpea tissues

When chickpea shoots were placed in solanapyrone A, the compound could not be recovered from the plant and symptoms developed. These consisted of loss of turgor, shrivelling and breakage of stems and flame-shaped, chlorotic zones in leaflets. In similar experiments with solanapyrone B, only 9.4% (22 μ g) of the compound taken up was recovered and stems remained turgid but their leaflets became twisted and chlorotic and some abscized.Cells isolated from leaflets of 12 chickpea cultivars differed by up to five-fold in their sensitivity to solanapyrone A and this compound was 2.6–12.6 times more toxic than solanapyrone B, depending on cultivar.Glutathione reacted with solanapyrone A in vitro reducing its toxicity in a cell assay and forming a conjugate. Measurement of reduced glutathione concentration and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity among cultivars showed that the differences of their means were highly significant and both were negatively and significantly correlated with their sensitivity to solanapyrone A. Treatment of shoots with solanapyrone A enhanced total, reduced and oxidized glutathione content as well as GST activity 1.26-, 1.23-, 1.50- and 1.94-fold, respectively. Similarly, treatment of shoots with the safener, dichlormid, also raised total, oxidized and reduced glutathione levels and GST activity 1.42-, 1.07-, 1.43-, 1.42-fold, respectively. Cells isolated from shoots treated with dichlormid at 150 and 300 μ g per shoot were 2.45 and 2.66 times less sensitive to solanapyrone A, with LD₅₀values of 71.5 and 77.8 μ g ml⁻¹, respectively, as compared to 29.2 μ g ml⁻¹for controls.     

Resistance to ascochyta blights of cool season food legumes

Ascochyta blights are the most important diseases of cool season food legumes (peas, lentils, chickpeas, and faba beans) and are found in nearly all production regions. Despite having the same common disease name, the pathogen species differ for each of the crops. These diseases cause serious yield losses under favourable cool and humid conditions. Planting resistant cultivars is often the first choice and most economical means in managing the diseases. Therefore breeding for resistance to ascochyta blights has been an important objective of many cool season food legume research programmes. Systematic screening of germplasm collections at international research centres and other national research programmes have identified useful resistance sources that have been used successfully to breed resistant or tolerant cultivars. Genetic studies have revealed inheritance patterns of the resistance genes. Genetic linkage analyses and QTL mapping have identified molecular markers that could be useful for marker-assisted selection and gene pyramiding. In general, research towards developing resistance to ascochyta blights in cool season food legume faces mainly two limitations: the lack of availability of efficient resistance sources and the lack of a good understanding of the variability of the pathogen populations. Research efforts to alleviate these limitations should be pursued. Given that modern technologies of marker development and genomics are available, further advances in deploying resistance to manage ascochyta blights in this group of legume crops will depend on concerted efforts in developing accurate screening procedures with adequate knowledge of pathogen variability and identification of additional sources of resistance.     

Diagnostics,genetic diversity and pathogenic variation of ascochyta blight of cool season food and feed legumes

Molecular diagnostic techniques have been developed to differentiate the Ascochyta pathogens that infect cool season food and feed legumes, as well as to improve the sensitivity of detecting latent infection in plant tissues. A seed sampling technique was developed to detect a 1% level of infection by Ascochyta rabiei in commercial chickpea seed. The Ascochyta pathogens were shown to be genetically diverse in countries where the pathogen and host have coexisted for a long time. However, where the pathogen was recently introduced, such as A. rabiei to Australia, the level of diversity remained relatively low, even as the pathogen spread to all chickpea-growing areas. Pathogenic variability of A. rabiei and Ascochyta pinodes pathogens in chickpea and field pea respectively, appears to be quantitative, where measures of disease severity were based on aggressiveness (quantitative level of infection) rather than on true qualitative virulence. In contrast, qualitative differences in pathogenicity in lentil and faba bean genotypes indicated the existence of pathotypes of Ascochyta lentis and Ascochyta fabae. Therefore, reports of pathotype discrimination based on quantitative differences in pathogenicity in a set of specific genotypes is questionable for several of the ascochyta-legume pathosystems such as A. rabiei and A. pinodes. This is not surprising since host resistance to these pathogens has been reported to be mainly quantitative, making it difficult for the pathogen to overcome specific resistance genes and form pathotypes. For robust pathogenicity assessment, there needs to be consistency in selection of differential host genotypes, screening conditions and disease evaluation techniques for each of the Ascochyta sp. in legume-growing countries throughout the world. Nevertheless, knowledge of pathotype diversity and aggressiveness within populations is important in the selection of resistant genotypes.     

美国甜豆中2种壳二孢综合症病菌的检疫鉴定

从进境邮件截获的美国甜豆中分离到两株可疑菌株,通过菌落特征、分生孢子形态比较、ITS和G3PD基因扩增、核酸序列比对、系统发育分析及致病性测定,确定截获的两株菌分别为豌豆脚腐病菌(Phoma pinodella)和豌豆球腔病菌(Ascochyta pinodes),这是我国首次从同一样品中同时检出两种壳二孢属真菌。     

Factors Influencing Transmission of Didymella rabiei (Ascochyta Blight) from Inoculated Seed of Chickpea Under Controlled Conditions

Ascochyta blight of chickpea (Cicer arietinum), caused by the fungus Didymella rabiei, has the potential to cause 100% crop loss in severe epiphytotics. Management of this disease often involves reducing sources of inoculum. The influence of sowing depth, host resistance, seed infection level and soil temperature on disease transmission was investigated in a series of glasshouse and growth room trials using seed artificially inoculated with D. rabiei. A positive correlation (R²=0.9992) was observed between rate of seed infection and the incidence of disease on seedlings. Disease transmission to seedlings was not significantly influenced by sowing depth (1, 3 and 6 cm) in separate trials on two cultivars. Susceptibility of the host showed no obvious influence on the frequency of disease transmission in two trials conducted using four cultivars ranging from highly susceptible to moderately susceptible/moderately resistant. Trials conducted in controlled conditions showed that there was no obvious relationship between soil temperature (5, 9, 14 and 19 °C) and the incidence of disease on seedlings.     

Ascochyta blight of chickpea in Australia: identification, pathogenicity and mating type

The aetiology of blight of chickpea in South Australia was studied following sporadic disease outbreaks over several years that had been tentatively identified as Phoma blight. Nine fungal isolates from diseased chickpeas were tested for pathogenicity in the glasshouse, of which two caused symptoms resembling those of Ascochyta blight. The two aggressive isolates were identified as Ascochyta rabiei based on morphological characteristics of cultures and RAPD analysis. This was further confirmed by successful mating to international standard isolates, which showed that the two Australian isolates were MAT1-1. These isolates are accessioned as DAR 71767 and DAR 71768, New South Wales Agriculture, Australia. This is the first time that A. rabiei has been positively identified in commercial chickpeas in the southern hemisphere. The pathogen was found (in 1992) in only one of 59 seed samples harvested throughout Australia between 1992 and 1996 and tested using International Seed Testing Association methods. The teleomorph has not been found in Australia and results to date suggest that only one mating type is present. This suggests that quarantine restrictions on imported chickpea seed should be retained to prevent the introduction of the opposite mating type.     

A comparative study of Turkish and Israeli populations of Didymella rabiei,the ascochyta blight pathogen of chickpea

The Fertile Crescent is the centre of domestication of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and also the place of origin of its pathogens. Agrosystems provide different environments to natural eco‐systems, thus imposing different types of selection on pathogens. Here, the genetic structure and in vitro temperature growth response of the chickpea pathogen Didymella rabiei from domesticated chickpea (59 isolates from Turkey and 31 from Israel) and wild Cicer spp. (three isolates from Turkish C. pinnatifidum and 35 from Israeli C. judaicum) were studied. Six sequence‐tagged microsatellite site (STMS) primer pairs were used to determine the genetic structure of the 128 D. rabiei isolates. Turkish isolates exhibited the highest genetic diversity (H = 0·69). Turkish and Israeli D. rabiei from domesticated chickpea were genetically closer to each other than isolates from the wild Cicer spp. Analysis of molecular variance showed that 54% of the genetic variation resided between isolates from wild and domesticated origins. EF1‐α sequences distinguished between D. rabiei isolates from domesticated and wild Cicer spp. by four polymorphic sites. Nevertheless, a certain degree of mixing between isolates from wild and domesticated origin was demonstrated using the Bayesian algorithm as well as with principal coordinates analysis. Isolates sampled from domesticated chickpea from both countries were better adapted to temperatures typical of Levantine spring and had a significantly larger colony area at 25°C than at 15°C (typical Levantine winter temperature). These observations were in accordance to the heritability values of the temperature growth response.     

Tagging and mapping a second resistance gene for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium</Emphasis> wilt race 0 in chickpea

A second gene conferring resistance to the chickpea wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp ciceris race 0, has been mapped to linkage group 2 (LG2) of the chickpea genetic map. Resistance to race 0 is controlled by two genes which segregate independently; one present in accession JG62 (Foc0 ₁ /foc0 ₁ ) and mapping to LG5 and the second present in accession CA2139 (Foc0 ₂ /foc0 ₂ ) but remaining unmapped. Both genes separately confer complete resistance to race 0 of the wilt pathogen. Using a Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) population that segregated for both genes (CA2139 × JG62) and the genotypic information provided by two markers flanking Foc0 ₁ /foc0 ₁ ten resistant lines containing the resistant allele Foc0 ₂ /foc0 ₂ were selected. Genotypic analysis using these ten resistant lines paired with ten susceptible RILs, selected in the same population, revealed that sequence tagged microsatellite sites (STMS) markers sited on LG2 were strongly associated with Foc0 ₂ /foc0 ₂ . Linkage analysis, using data from two mapping populations (CA2139/JG62 and CA2156/JG62), located Foc0 ₂ /foc0 ₂ in a region where genes for resistance to wilt races 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 have previously been reported and which is highly saturated with tightly-linked STMS markers that could be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS).     

Characterization of chickpea differentials for pathogenicity assay of ascochyta blight and identification of chickpea accessions resistant to Didymella rabiei

Forty-eight chickpea germplasm lines, including 22 differentials used in previous studies, were characterized for disease phenotypes following inoculation with six isolates of Didymella (anamorph Ascochyta ) rabiei , representing a wide spectrum of pathogenic variation. Representative isolates were also directly compared with six previously identified races on eight chickpea genotypes. Many of the chickpea differentials reacted similarly to inoculation with each isolate of D. rabiei , and several previously identified races caused similar levels of disease on the differentials. This indicates that the number of differentials can be reduced significantly without sacrificing accuracy in describing pathogenic variation of D. rabiei on chickpea. Pathogenic variation among samples of US isolates allowed classification of the isolates into two pathotypes. The distribution of disease phenotypes of the 48 germplasm lines was bimodal after inoculation with pathotype I isolates, whereas the distribution of disease phenotypes was continuous after inoculation with pathotype II isolates. Such distinct distribution patterns suggest that chickpea plants employ different resistance mechanisms to each pathotype and that the two pathotypes may have different genetic mechanisms controlling pathogenicity. The advantages of using the two-pathotype system in assaying pathogenicity of the pathogen and in studying resistance mechanisms of the host are discussed. Three chickpea accessions, PI 559361, PI 559363 and W6 22589, showed a high level of resistance to both pathotypes, and can be employed as resistance sources in chickpea breeding programmes for resistance to ascochyta blight.     

Influence of Inoculum Density of Races 0 and 5 of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris on Development of Fusarium Wilt in Chickpea Cultivars

Artificial inoculation experiments were carried out at 25°C to determine the effects of inoculum density of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris races 0 (Foc-0) and 5 (Foc-5) and susceptibility of chickpea cultivars P-2245 and PV-61 on development of Fusarium wilt. Foc-5 proved much more virulent than Foc-0. Increasing the inoculum density of F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceris caused an exponential reduction in disease incubation period and a monomolecular increase of disease incidence and the area under the disease intensity progress curve. The extent of these effects was highest in the most conducive P-2245/Foc-5 combination and decreased in the less susceptible PV-61 and for the less virulent Foc-0, in that order. For P-2245/Foc-5, the highest disease intensity was attained with 6 chlamydospores g^–1 of soil, the lowest inoculum density in the study. One thousand chlamydospores g^–1 of soil of the same race were needed to attain a comparable disease intensity in PV-61. Twenty thousand chlamydospores g^–1 of soil of Foc-0 were required for maximum disease intensity in P-2245.The disease intensity curves were adequately described by the Gompertz model. Using this model, a response surface for disease intensity was developed, in which the model parameters are expressed as a function of both time from inoculation and inoculum density. This response surface confirmed that the final amount of disease intensity increases in a monomolecular relationship with increasing inoculum density and showed that the relative rate of disease progress increases exponentially with increasing inoculum density of the pathogen.     

Resistance to root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus neglectus identified in a new collection of two wild chickpea species (Cicer reticulatum and C. echinospermum) from Turkey

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a major legume crop, with Australia being the second largest producer worldwide. Pratylenchus neglectus is a root-lesion nematode that invades, feeds and reproduces in roots of pulse and cereal crops. In Australia, chickpea and wheat (Triticum aestivum) are commonly grown in rotation and annual damage by P. neglectus accounts for large economic losses to both crops. Cultivated chickpea has narrow genetic diversity that limits the potential for improvement in resistance breeding. New collections of wild chickpea species, C. reticulatum and C. echinospermum, have substantially increased the previously limited world collection of wild Cicer germplasm and offer potential to widen the genetic diversity of cultivated chickpea through the identification of accessions with good resistance. This research assessed 243 C. reticulatum and 86 C. echinospermum accessions for response to P. neglectus in replicated experiments under controlled glasshouse conditions from 2013 and 2014 collection missions that were received, tested and analysed in two experimental sets. Multi-experiment analyses showed lower P. neglectus population densities in both sets of wild Cicer accessions tested than Australia's elite breeding cultivar PBA HatTrick at the significance level p < 0.05. Provisional resistance ratings were given to all genotypes tested in both experimental sets, with C. reticulatum accessions CudiB_008B and Kayat_066 rated as resistant in both Set 1 and Set 2. New sources of resistance to P. neglectus observed in this study can be introgressed into commercial chickpea cultivars to improve their resistance to this nematode.     

Identification and characterization of RB-orthologous genes from the late blight resistant wild potato species Solanum verrucosum

Late blight, caused by the oomycete pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, is a devastating disease of potatoes and tomatoes. A key long-term management strategy for combating this disease is to develop potato cultivars with high levels of durable resistance through identification and integration of major resistance genes. The RBgene, cloned from the Mexican diploid potato species Solanum bulbocastanum, confers broad-spectrum resistance to potato late blight. Here, we have determined the late blight resistance phenotypes of eight accessions of Solanum verrucosum, another wild diploid potato species, using greenhouse inoculations and discovered variability among the accessions. While most accessions were resistant, one accession was notably more susceptible. Transcribed orthologs of the RB gene from the eight S. verrucosum accessions were cloned using a homology-based PCR approach. Sequence analysis revealed that the RB^ver orthologs share up to 83.5% nucleotide identity with RB^blb. Stable introduction of the RB ortholog from late blight resistant S. verrucosum PI275260 into susceptible S. tuberosum confers resistance to P. infestans. Interestingly, this functional RB^ver ortholog contains an insertion of a complete leucine rich repeat when compared to RB^blb, and differs from the RB^ver ortholog from a susceptible accession at only four amino acid residues.