Research
Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) National Barley Cluster
Barley pathogen variations and implications for managing disease via host resistance Priority 3: Sector Resilience
Dr. Xiben Wang,Morden Research and Development Centre, AAFC
Dr. Kelly Turkington,Lacombe Research and Development Centre, AAFC
Barley acreage in Canada is increasing, but so too is the prevalence of leaf spot diseases in the crop, which can significantly impact grain quality and yield.
To be able to develop continually effective and durable management strategies for these diseases, it’s vital to understand their prevalence, severity and pathogen variability.
This research aims to develop effective and durable management strategies for leaf spot diseases by studying their pathogen variability in terms of virulence, prevalence and population genetics and to develop a comprehensive culture collection of pathogens to serve as a resource for future research.
Overall, this research will generate valuable information for plant breeders to develop resistant varieties and to inform more effective management strategies for producers. It will also support future research and germplasm enhancement for disease resistance.
Objectives
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Assess the prevalence and severity of barley leaf spot diseases and develop a comprehensive pathogen isolate collection.
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Assess the virulence and genetic variability of the spot blotch, net blotch and scald pathogens.
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Develop a comprehensive culture collection of barley leaf spot pathogens, assess the prevalence and severity of barley leaf spot diseases known to be important in Western Canada (including net blotch, spot blotch and scald) and maintain a co-ordinated surveillance network for emerging barley leaf spot pathogens, especially concerning Ramularia leaf spot.
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Assess the virulence of barley net blotch, spot blotch and scald pathogens from producers’ fields and study the population genetics of barley net blotch and spot blotch pathogens in Western Canada.