Uniting genetics and chemistry to reduce the risk of take-all disease in 2nd wheat crops

Take-all disease of wheat, caused by the fungal pathogen Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, is a major constraint on wheat productivity around the world. In recent years at Rothamsted Research, a number of promising leads for the genetic control of take-all have been identified. This project aims to explore the genetic basis of a new phenomenon called LowTAB which has been identified in a range of modern hexaploid wheat varieties. During the growth of a LowTAB variety, sown as a first wheat crop, the build-up of infectious take-all inoculum in the soil rhizosphere region is restricted and so this reduces the risk of severe take-all in a following wheat crop. The effect of chemistry on TAB will also be explored to provide new information on how first wheat agronomy influences second wheat performance. In addition a new root resistance trait will be studied to identify whether the disease can be further minimised during the growth of a second wheat. This will provide new genetic targets and agronomy advice for the control of take-all disease.