Proposal for Rust Team

We have successfully launched the Quaker Integrated Oat Program for South America and labeled it as the "Quaker Team".  The focus of the Quaker Team is oat grain as an end product.  After seeing the crown rust this year and listening to various people describe both the rust and research operations in SA, it is now clear to me that we also need a "Rust Team" to extend beyond what is described in the "Integrated Program".

This additional team is needed for at least three reasons.  First, we will never solve the rust problem for oat grain if we do not give the rust of forage oats greater attention.  Second, the rust cycle actually starts with forage oats because they are planted much earlier in the cropping year.  Thus they are infected first and actually are the primary suppliers of innoculum for the oats planted later in the crop year for grain.  Finally, the crown rust problem is so much greater than any other problem for growing oats in SA.  Thus  it warrants relatively more attention and we need more partners (i.e., Uruguay and probably Parana, Arg.) to adequately address a stable supply of "Quaker Quality Oats" (SA style).  Further, the cost of fungicide applications to prevent rust development, both in terms of competitive crop economics and the possible food contamination, would be better directed to research proposed here.  The attached outline identifies a possible organizational structure as well as a brief description of the several factors involved in ultimately providing adequate and durable protection against crown rust in SA.  Regarding the structure, it is important to include the plant pathology expertise available for the effort in SA beyond those locations emphasizing oats for grain.  A listing of important factors and some specifics associated with them, as well as their interactions, documents that the crown rust epidemiology in SA is much more complicated than might have been originally imagined.  The complications need to be matched by a multiple prong approach which focuses on diversity of the three primary elements of the proposed approach, i.e., Host, Environment (locations), and Investigators.

 

Prepared by
Deon Stuthman

 

Rust Team

Multiple Institutions/Approaches to Durable Resistance

Institution                                            Point Person                            Principle Cooperators

· UFRGS                                             J.A. Martinelli                         L. Federizzi

· Purdue University                             H. Ohm                                    G. Shaner

· University of Minnesota  ---------     D. McVey and                         H. Rines, K. Leonard and

   Cereal Disease Lab                          D. Stuthman                             A. Roelfs        

· INIA, Uruguay ---------------------    M. Rebuffo                              S. German

· University of Florida --------------   R. Barrnett                               also Quaker people  
                                                                                                                 Trombetta and Weaver

Others                                                  Others                                      Others 

 

Focus is on diversity of:

I.    Host genotypes

      A.  Mechanisms of rate reducing resistance

            1.   Reduced infection rate

            2.   Longer latent period

            3.   Smaller pustule/spore no.

            4.   Shorter time of spore production

      B.  Non-resistance host mechanisms which impede disease development.

            1.   Canopy structure

            2.   Leaf dimensions

II.   Locations/environmental scenarios affecting disease development.

       Institution                                    

      A.  UFRGS, Eldorado do Su, Brazil                                

      B.  Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana

      C.  Univ. of Minnesota and USDA CDL, St. Paul and Rosemount, Minnesota

      D.  INIA, La Estanzuela, Uruguay

      E.  Univ. of Florida,Quincy, Florida

III. Philosophical and Scientific Approaches of Investigators.

      A.  See list of people and principle cooperators above.

      B.  Approach to identification of rate reducing resistance.

            1.   Currently - phenotypic scoring.

                  a.   Less rust then susceptible types at the end of season.

                  b.   few small pustules

            2.   Add in future.

                  a.   Profile rate-reducing resistance mechanisms of individual parental genotypes.

                  b.   Molecular markers for rate-reducing resistance genes.

IV. Interactions of I, II and III above.