Plant Research International makes major contribution to the battle against number one wheat disease

The Joint Genome Institute (JGI) of the US Department of Energy is set to sequence the genome of Mycosphaerella graminicola in a combined initiative with the US-based Purdue University and Plant Research International BV, a subdivision of Wageningen UR.

The M. graminicola fungus causes the septoria tritici leaf blotch disease, the primary threat to wheat cultivation in Europe. The fight against this disease is estimated to cost around €600 million annually, no less than 70% of the total budget allocated to fungicide spraying.

The Mycosphaerella genus comprises more than 1,000 different types, a large proportion of which cause plant diseases that have a major economic impact in temperate and tropical climates. Partly due to the fact that its entire genome will be mapped by this research, Mycosphaerella is on course to become one of the most important model fungi in the field of plant pathology.

The study will be carried out under the aegis of the Community Sequencing Program of the US Department of Energy. This is a programme devised to give scientists throughout the world the opportunity to have genome analyses performed by the Joint Genome Institute.

Plant Research International has been researching Mycosphaerella for years now, and has achieved groundbreaking results in cooperation with a number of international groups and the wider industry. In fact, the sequencing project carried out in partnership with the Joint Genome Institute concerns one of the standard isolates of Plant Research International and, as such, constitutes an important acknowledgement of the value of this research.

Plant Sciences Group of Wageningen UR is a partnership between:
* Plant Research International B.V.
* Applied Plant Research (Praktijkonderzoek Plant & Omgeving B.V.)
* Wageningen University