Project Number: 3640-21220-018-01
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Oct 01, 2003
End Date: Sep 30, 2004

Objective:
Determine resistance of barberry species and cultivars to Puccinia graminis, the wheat stem rust fungus. Develop improved methods of inducing germination of Puccinia graminis teliospores and inculating barberry plants.

Approach:
Conduct field surveys for grass or cereal plants bearing teliospores of Puccinia graminis whose dormancy has been broken by weathering through the winter. Expose new barberry or mahonia cultivars and susceptible check plants to germinating teliospores that release basidiospores which can infect susceptible barberry plants. Evaluate cultivars for symptoms of rust infection for 1-2 weeks after inoculation. Certify new cultivars as resistant if they show no symptoms of rust infection in 12 tests in which susceptible check plants develop abundant rust. Identify possible hybrid barberry cultivars based on plant morphology, grow seedlings from seed of suspected hybrid plants, and test them for segeration of resistance and susceptibility to Puccinia graminis. Test storage procedures for overwintered teliospores and effects of temperature and moisture treatments for inducing teliospores germination to improve rates of infectious basidiospores for barberry inoculations.

Project Team

Kolmer, James - Jim

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Plant Diseases (303)