Diseases affecting wheat and barley: powdery mildew

Description

Powdery mildew pathogens are among the most important cereal disease-causing organisms, and can result in significant losses in yield and reductions in grain quality. They pose a significant challenge for barley and wheat agricultural production systems. This chapter aims to provide an overview of current knowledge on wheat and barley resistance to powdery mildew. First, we introduce basic biological concepts on disease epidemiology and management strategies which target mildew. We then present emerging trends and technologies used in mildew resistance breeding and research and discuss how these could be combined into effective disease management strategies in the near future. Finally, we propose additional directions for achieving durable resistance based on deep understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms of cereal-mildew interactions.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 The biology of the powdery mildew disease 3 Agricultural management strategies to control mildews 4 Race-specific resistance: new approaches for fast gene isolation in wheat and barley 5 Quantitative disease resistance: identification of partially acting resistance genes and first insights into their molecular mechanism 6 Recent insights into the molecular basis of race-specific resistance against Blumeria graminis 7 Case study: identification, functional characterisation and applications of the Pm3 wheat powdery mildew resistance genes in wheat breeding 8 Future directions 9 Where to look for further information 10 References