Abstract
In wheat, resistance to Fusarium is conditioned by anatomical, morphological, and physiological traits. The aim of this study was to evaluate selected elements of constitutive barriers in common wheat, spelt, Polish wheat, emmer, and einkorn. The activity of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme and rate of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were evaluated in the tissues of common wheat and spelt inoculated with Fusarium culmorum. Most of the relict wheat species were more abundant in morphological barriers than common wheat. F. culmorum penetrated constitutive barriers, which increased PAL activity and intensified ROS production 24 h after inoculation in wheat tissues. The lowest increase in PAL activity after inoculation was observed in cv. Sumai3, which resistance is based on limiting the spread of F. culmorum within the spike. Spelt line Tas 581 glumes were characterized by the highest concentration of ROS 24 h after inoculation. The ROS content remained high for five days. The results of this study indicate that high trichome density plays a key role in resistance to pathogens. In the resistant spelt line with effective constitutive barriers, PAL activity and ROS content were higher than those observed in susceptible wheats after inoculation with F. culmorum.
Highlights
Wheat is the most widely cultivated cereal in the world and one of the main staple crops that guarantees global food security
Symptoms of infection with Z. tritici were observed on leaves only in T. turgidum spp. polonicum and T. aestivum spp. aestivum
Diseases pose a significant risk in wheat wheat production, but very little is known known about defense mechanisms in wheat species, in particular the correlations between constitutive barriers and active resistance
Summary
Wheat is the most widely cultivated cereal in the world and one of the main staple crops that guarantees global food security. 10,000 and 9000 BCE (Before the Common Era), wheat has been subjected to strong selection pressure to obtain high yielding cultivars. These efforts significantly decreased the genetic diversity of wheat plants and lowered their resistance to fungal pathogens. New sources of resistance to fungal pathogens are investigated in wheat’s wild relatives and ancient species of wheat [2]. These species could be a source of valuable accessions for gene banks that store genetic material for breeding and research.
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