Effects of environmental factors on infection of barley by parasitic or symbiotic soil-borne fungi
Year: 1990
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The reaction of spring barley to common root rot and its effect on yield components and disease severity was studied under varied moisture regimes.Infection of barley from natural soil inoculum, primarily of Cochliobolus sativus.was augmented with inoculum of C. sativus or Fusarium culmorum to insure uniform disease pressure during plant development.To study the effect of varied soil moisture, three locations were utilized that differed in annual precipitation in 1986, and a line-source sprinkler irrigation system was utilized to establish a soil moisture gradient from a high moisture regime that received both irrigation water and rainfall to a dryland regime that received only rainfall in 1986 and 1987.Plant emergence and harvestable tillers were reduced by inoculation with C. sativus as compared to non-inoculated controls.Grain yield loss was associated with C. sativus when the dryland regime received no rainfall during seedling development and in the low rainfall, drought location.No grain yield losses occurred in the irrigated moisture regimes or the moderate and high rainfall locations with inoculation by either pathogen.In the irrigated moisture regimes, the moderate rainfall location, and the high rainfall location, the inoculated plants compensated for reduced plant emergence and harvestable tillers by producing heavier kernels.Disease severity, based on the subcrown internode lesion development during soft dough growth stage, did not differ in the dryland and irrigated moisture regimes.However, disease severity was higher in the drought location as compared with the moderate and high rainfall locations.Selection of a spring barley with low disease severity was independent of location.Prolonged drought and disease pressure during seedling development can result in grain yield reductions, whereas subsequent moisture will affect the crop's ability to compensate for common root rot.
Author: William Grey
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1268295