Examination of Pisum and Lathyrus species as sources of ascochyta blight resistance for field pea (Pisum sativum)

Ascochyta blight resistance in Pisum sativum (field pea), P. fulvum and Lathyrus species was examined in glasshouse experiments using an isolate of the fungal pathogen Mycosphaerella pinodes that had been isolated from field pea. In the genus Pisum there was significant variation in stem infection among the primitive field pea lines, the field pea cultivars and the P. fulvum lines. Two P. fulvum lines and one primitive field pea line exhibited significantly less stem infection than the two field pea cultivars. Leaf infection of the primitive field pea lines was not significantly different from that of the field pea cultivars. P. fulvum accession PS1115 had the least stem infection and the least leaf infection among the Pisum germplasm. Examination of stem infection in Lathyrus showed that L. sativus, L. ochrus and L. clymenum accessions were significantly more resistant to stem infection than the field pea cultivars. Six of the eight accessions of Lathyrus were also significantly more resistant to leaf infection than the field pea cultivars. Among ten accessions of L. sativus, there was significant variation in severity of stem infection but not leaf infection. This is the first report comparing ascochyta blight resistance between Lathyrus and Pisum species and among Lathyrus accessions and the results show that Lathyrus species may be a source of resistance alleles that could be exploited to develop ascochyta blight resistance in field pea.

[1]  E. Pang,et al.  Molecular analysis of Lathyrus sativus L. (grasspea) and related Lathyrus species , 1999, Euphytica.

[2]  S. Agrawal,et al.  Current status and future strategy in breeding grasspea (Lathyrus sativus) , 2004, Euphytica.

[3]  S. Ochatt,et al.  Efficient intergeneric fusion of pea (Pisum sativum L.) and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) protoplasts. , 2000, Journal of experimental botany.

[4]  J. Wroth.  Variation in pathogenicity among and within Mycosphaerella pinodes populations collected from field pea in Australia , 1998 .

[5]  J. Wroth.  Possible role for wild genotypes of Pisum spp. to enhance ascochyta blight resistance in pea , 1998 .

[6]  T. Warkentin,et al.  FUNGICIDAL CONTROL OF ASCOCHYTA BLIGHT OF FIELD PEA , 1996 .

[7]  T. Price,et al.  Effect of Ascochyta blight on the grain yield of field peas (Pisum sativum L.) grown in southern Australia , 1995 .

[8]  H. Schroeder,et al.  Transformation and Regeneration of Two Cultivars of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) , 1993, Plant physiology.

[9]  N. Raikhel,et al.  Colocalization of Barley Lectin and Sporamin in Vacuoles of Transgenic Tobacco Plants , 1993, Plant physiology.

[10]  B. Lewis,et al.  A Pathotype Classification for Mycosphaerella pinodes , 1991 .

[11]  A. Rossman,et al.  Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States , 1989 .

[12]  P. Kirk,et al.  CMI Descriptions of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria , 1979 .

[13]  B. Cameron,et al.  Selection of pea lines for resistance to pathotypes of Ascochyta pinodes, A. pisi and Phoma medicaginis var. pinodella , 1978 .