The EUCARPIA Multi-Site Rust Evaluation – Results 2007

Abstract

The EUCARPIA rust evaluation trial was established in 2007 for the third time. The same ryegrass cultivars (33 perennial, 15 Italian and 3 hybrid ryegrass) were tested as in the first and second trial of 2001 and 2004, respectively (Boller et al., 2003; Schubiger et al., 2007). In addition, the Italian ryegrass cultivar Crema, the hybrid ryegrass cultivar Gosia and the perennial ryegrass cultivar Maja were included in 2007. The trials were sown at 27 sites in 12 countries of Europe. Twenty one sites were the same as in the first and second trial. Crown rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. lolii) was again the most frequently observed rust on both ryegrass species. Variation in resistance to crown rust among cultivars was significant at 22 sites for Italian and 16 sites for perennial ryegrass. Stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. graminicola) occurred mainly on perennial ryegrass. There was a significant difference in mean stem rust scores among cultivars at 12 sites. The new cultivar Gosia and Tarandus showed the highest level of resistance of all the Italian and hybrid ryegrass cultivars tested. Bocage, Gwendal and Lacerta were the most crown rust resistant perennial ryegrass cultivars. The ranking of the mean crown rust susceptibility of the cultivars was highly correlated with the corresponding ranking of cultivars in the 2001 and 2004 trials, respectively. This was true for both Italian and perennial ryegrass.