Australian Scientists Identify Crown Rot-Resistant Wheat Lines

Crown Rot in wheat and barley caused by the fungus Fusarium pseudograminearum is a serious disease causing losses of up to $ 79 million annually (USD 71 million) in Australia. Researchers from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) now say that they have identified wheat and barley lines resistant to the dreaded disease.

Chunji Liu and colleagues at CSIRO scanned over 2400 wheat lines and 1000 barley lines from around the world to find the ones resistant to the fungal disease. "The wheat and barley lines showing resistance to Crown Rot are now being used in pre-breeding programs to incorporate the resistance into adapted varieties for delivery to the wheat breeding companies," Liu says. Developing wheat and barley varieties is an essential strategy in fighting the disease. Crop rotations have limited success in reducing Fusarium infestations since the fungus survives on weeds and grasses that remain when cereals are rotated.

Liu noted that CSIRO scientists are also studying how Fusarium invades the plant, how plants resist Fusarium infection and what genes may be involved in defending the plant against Fusarium or reducing its effect on yield.

The original article is available at http://www.csiro.au/news/Rot-resistant-wheat-could-save-farmers-millions.html