GRS - (Kealan Hassett) Population structure and virulence of barley Spot Form of Net Blotch isolates in Western Australia

Investment

GRDC Code: CUR2002-002RSX
GRS - (Kealan Hassett) Population structure and virulence of barley Spot Form of Net Blotch isolates in Western Australia

The most damaging barley disease in Australia is net blotch, which segregates into two forms caused by the closely related fungal pathogens, Pyrenophora teres f. teres (Ptt) and Pyrenophora teres f. maculata (Ptm); Ptt is the causal agent of the net form of net blotch (NFNB) while Ptm causes spot form net blotch (SFNB) (Liu et al. 2010). Of these diseases, SFNB is the most devastating, causing substantial yield and quality downgrades resulting in up 40% the crop's potential economic value being lost (Murray and Brennan 2009). Despite this, very little is known about the disease and its distribution in WA.

In order to obtain up-to-date knowledge of WA's Ptm population, modern molecular techniques will be used to analyse a new collection of Ptm isolates in a genotype-by-sequencing study. Such high-resolution genotyping will allow genetic variability at both the field level and state-wide to be assessed within WA. This will be followed by a pathotype study to identify the distribution of different virulences within the state as well as nationally. Finally, a genome wide association study will be performed to correlate the genotype information to the phenotype data to identify marker trait associations relevant to the observed disease symptoms.

This project seeks to explore the current diversity and distribution of SFNB pathotypes and genotypes in Australia with a focus on the barley growing regions within Western Australia. It will also investigate the diversity level of field populations, and the effect of geographic separation on the overall genetic variation of Ptm isolates. With the information obtained on SFNB pathotypes and genotypes, I also aim to identify different genomic regions linked to virulence traits that may contribute to each of the identified pathotypes.

Project start date:
01/02/2020
Project end date:
30/06/2023
Crop type:
  • Barley, (Cereal)
Organisation
Curtin University
Region:
West
Project status
status icon Completed

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