Contribution of Parastagonospora nodorum to the leaf and glume blotch of durum wheat in Bulgaria

Abstract

Abstract. Parastagonospora nodorum is an important necrotrophic fungal pathogen causing leaf and glume blotch of wheat worldwide. The disease can result in significant losses in grain yield and quality. The purpose of the current investigation was to estimate the occurrence of P. nodorum as a foliar and ear pathogen of durum wheat and disease severity on a set of cultivars under natural infection. Field experiments were performed at two locations (Sofia and Chirpan) in the period 2010-2017. Twelve winter cultivars of durum wheat were involved in the study. P. nodorum was not found at both locations in 2010 and 2011. Thereafter the pathogen was recorded on the leaves of durum wheat in Sofia every year except 2013. Symptoms included chlorosis and necrosis of the leaf tissue. The strongest manifestation of the disease was observed in 2016 and especially in 2017. In Chirpan leaf blotch was noticed only in 2 out of 8 growing seasons. The ear infection led to development of dark brown patches on the glumes, which later became purple-brown. These symptoms were noted in Sofia in 2014, 2016 and 2017. In Chirpan, glume blotch of studied cultivars was recorded in 2017 but in the previous year the symptoms were widely observed on some genotypes among the initial breeding material of durum wheat. In the present investigation P. nodorum caused leaf and glume blotch only. Symptoms on stems, nodes and leaf sheaths were not noted at both locations. The 12 cultivars under study differed in their susceptibility to leaf and glume blotch. The leaf symptoms caused by P. nodorum were recorded on all cultivars, but were more pronounced on Zvezditsa, Deyana and GK Bétadur. The glume blotch was more noticeable on Vazhod. The results of this multiyear research showed that although P. nodorum did not appear every year, the pathogen could contribute to the leaf and glume blotch of durum wheat under conditions favourable for disease development. The evaluation of cultivars demonstrated encouraging preliminary results. Several cultivars showed lower disease severity on flag leaf and no or little infection on the ear. They deserve further studies on resistance to P. nodorum.