A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 11 Jun 2015
Source: University of Exeter [edited]
<http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_456128_en.html>
International initiative to face devastating crop disease
Septoria tritici blotch (STB), a disease caused by the fungal pathogen _Zymoseptoria tritici_ is, alarmingly, becoming increasingly resistant to fungicides and already accounts for about 70 per cent of annual European fungicide use, worth around EUR 1 billion [USD 1.13 billion].
Professor Sarah Gurr, Biosciences, estimated that the disease could cost the economies of France, Germany and the UK, the 3 main EU wheat-growing countries, between EUR 120 and 700 million [USD 136 and 793 million].
Exeter researchers have now started an international initiative to face this challenge to our food security. Professor Nick Talbot, University of Exeter, said: "This study highlights the constant need for fungicide discovery, particularly in the face of emerging resistance to existing products by the fungal pathogen _Zymoseptoria tritici_, so that together we can develop sustainable control mechanisms of STB."
Professor Gero Steinberg, Biosciences, said: "The fungal pathogen _Zymoseptoria tritici_ poses a real threat to wheat production. In times of changing climate and a growing world population, Exeter research joins the world-wide quest to understand the biology of this fungal pathogen".
--
Communicated by: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
[Septoria leaf blotch of cereals is caused by fungi in the septoria species complex which includes _Zymoseptoria tritici_ (previously _Septoria tritici_) , _Mycosphaerella graminicola_ and _Phaeosphaeria nodorum_ (previously _Stagonospora nodorum_). The disease affects mainly wheat, but also barley and oats and occasionally rye and some grass species. Symptoms on wheat and barley are very similar and may occur at any time during the growth of the plant and on any portion of the plant. They include blotches on both leaves and glumes which reduce the photosynthetic ability of the host. Up to 50 percent yield losses have been reported on susceptible varieties. Septoria is considered the most important foliar disease of winter wheat in the UK and other parts of Europe.
Spores can be spread by infected plant material, wind, water (rain splash) and mechanical means. The pathogens can overwinter on crop debris and on autumn-sown crops or volunteers. Disease management includes fungicide treatments aimed at preventing the disease becoming established on the upper 3 leaves of the crop canopy, removal of inoculum sources, and use of resistant varieties.
Emerging fungicide resistance of septoria blotch has been reported in recent years from Europe, Australasia and North America (see previous ProMED-mail posts listed below and in the archives). After the cereal rusts, the disease is considered the most important challenge to plant breeders (see ProMED-mail post 20120831.1274190) and a threat to food security worldwide.
Maps
Europe, overview:
<http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/0_MAPS/0_map_europe_political_2001_enlarged.jpg>
Pictures
Wheat crop affected by septoria:
<https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/sites/gateway/files/styles/original/public/
septoria_nodorum_withered_leaves.jpg?itok=-ZWZPjFM>
Septoria leaf symptoms:
<http://ipm.illinois.edu/bulletin/photos/septoria_wheat.jpg>,
<http://www.abgenternasyonel.com/images/icerik/septoria%20tritici.jpg>
and
<http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/fungi/ascomycetes/
Article%20Images/SeptoriaTriticiBlotch01.jpg>
Septoria symptoms on wheat ear:
<http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub811/images/6septf2.jpg>
Septoria on resistant and susceptible wheat varieties:
<http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/y4011e/y4011e1d.jpg>
Septoria diseases and pathogens, photo gallery:
<http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/subimages.cfm?sub=9457>
Links
Information on septoria diseases:
<http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/diseases/Tritici/Tritici_Septoria_tritici/>,
<http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/diseases/Tritici/Tritici_Septoria_nodorum/>
and
<http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/fungi/ascomycetes/Pages/
Septoria.aspx>
_Z. tritici_ taxonomy and synonyms:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=517926>
and
<http://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=517926>
Taxonomy of other fungal species via:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/names/Names.asp>
- Mod.DHA]
[See Also:
2014
----
Fungal diseases, cereal crops - UK: SDHI resistance, alert
20140507.2457504
Septoria blotch, wheat - New Zealand: new strains, strobilurin resistance 20140417.2410219 Septoria, wheat - Australia: new strains, alert 20140313.2329774
2011
----
Fungal diseases, cereal crops - Ireland: alert 20110525.1590
2010
----
Fungal diseases, cereals - Australia: alert 20100825.2989 Fusarium head blight & stagonospora, wheat - USA: (OH) 20100708.2277 Septoria, wheat & barley - France: (BN) 20100517.1608 Fungal diseases, cereals - Germany: (SN) 20100428.1370 Net blotch, barley - Australia: (SA) new strains, alert 20100323.0921
2009
----
Fungal diseases, cereal crops - China, Ireland 20090528.1983 Fungal diseases, cereal crops - France, Germany 20090504.1668 Fungal diseases, barley - UK 20090123.0291 and older items in the archives]
Topics
Species
