Cultivars Resistance Assay for Maize Late Wilt Disease
<i>Magnaporthiopsis maydis</i> late wilt disease (LWD) in corn is considered to be the most severe in Israel and Egypt and poses a significant threat in other countries. Research efforts extending over a period of five decades led to the development of chemical, biological, agrotechnical...
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/12/1854 |
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| author | Ofir Degani Ran Yifa Asaf Gordani Paz Becher Assaf Chen |
| author_facet | Ofir Degani Ran Yifa Asaf Gordani Paz Becher Assaf Chen |
| author_sort | Ofir Degani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Magnaporthiopsis maydis</i> late wilt disease (LWD) in corn is considered to be the most severe in Israel and Egypt and poses a significant threat in other countries. Research efforts extending over a period of five decades led to the development of chemical, biological, agrotechnical, physical (solar disinfection) and other means for controlling late wilt disease. Today, some applications can reduce damage even in severe cases. However, cultivating disease-resistant maize varieties is the primary means for reducing the disease’s impact. The current work uses a rapid (six days) laboratory seedling pathogenicity test and a full-season open encloser semi-field conditioned pots assay (101 days) to classify maize varieties according to their LWD resistance. To better evaluate differences between the cultivars, a real-time based molecular assay was applied to track the pathogen’s presence in the plants’ tissues, and visible light aerial imaging was used in parallel. The findings show that in cases of extreme sensitivity or tolerance (for example, in the highly susceptible Megaton cultivar (cv.) or the resistant Hatai cv.), a similarity in the results exists between the different methods. Thus, a reliable estimate of the varieties’ sensitivity can be obtained in a seed assay without the need for a test carried out throughout an entire growing season. At the same time, in most situations of partial or reduced LWD sensitivity/resistance, there is no match between the various tests, and only the entire growing season can provide the most reliable results. Tracking the amount of <i>M. maydis</i> DNA in the plants’ bodies is a precise, sensitive scientific tool of great importance for studying the development of the disease and the factors affecting it. Yet, no complete overlap exists between the fungal DNA amount and symptom severity. Such a correlation exists in high sensitivity or resistance cases but not in intermediate situations. Still, the valuation of the pathogen’s establishment in asymptomatic corn hybrids can indicate the degree of LWD immunity and the chance of susceptibility development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:17:59Z |
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| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:17:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-2a3a39cbbca84e2991a407beb68b1e892023-11-24T13:24:41ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372022-12-011112185410.3390/biology11121854Cultivars Resistance Assay for Maize Late Wilt DiseaseOfir Degani0Ran Yifa1Asaf Gordani2Paz Becher3Assaf Chen4Migal—Galilee Research Institute, Tarshish 2, Kiryat Shmona 1101600, IsraelCTS Group, Seed Department, Kiryat Malakhi 8305769, IsraelMigal—Galilee Research Institute, Tarshish 2, Kiryat Shmona 1101600, IsraelMigal—Galilee Research Institute, Tarshish 2, Kiryat Shmona 1101600, IsraelMigal—Galilee Research Institute, Tarshish 2, Kiryat Shmona 1101600, Israel<i>Magnaporthiopsis maydis</i> late wilt disease (LWD) in corn is considered to be the most severe in Israel and Egypt and poses a significant threat in other countries. Research efforts extending over a period of five decades led to the development of chemical, biological, agrotechnical, physical (solar disinfection) and other means for controlling late wilt disease. Today, some applications can reduce damage even in severe cases. However, cultivating disease-resistant maize varieties is the primary means for reducing the disease’s impact. The current work uses a rapid (six days) laboratory seedling pathogenicity test and a full-season open encloser semi-field conditioned pots assay (101 days) to classify maize varieties according to their LWD resistance. To better evaluate differences between the cultivars, a real-time based molecular assay was applied to track the pathogen’s presence in the plants’ tissues, and visible light aerial imaging was used in parallel. The findings show that in cases of extreme sensitivity or tolerance (for example, in the highly susceptible Megaton cultivar (cv.) or the resistant Hatai cv.), a similarity in the results exists between the different methods. Thus, a reliable estimate of the varieties’ sensitivity can be obtained in a seed assay without the need for a test carried out throughout an entire growing season. At the same time, in most situations of partial or reduced LWD sensitivity/resistance, there is no match between the various tests, and only the entire growing season can provide the most reliable results. Tracking the amount of <i>M. maydis</i> DNA in the plants’ bodies is a precise, sensitive scientific tool of great importance for studying the development of the disease and the factors affecting it. Yet, no complete overlap exists between the fungal DNA amount and symptom severity. Such a correlation exists in high sensitivity or resistance cases but not in intermediate situations. Still, the valuation of the pathogen’s establishment in asymptomatic corn hybrids can indicate the degree of LWD immunity and the chance of susceptibility development.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/12/1854<i>Cephalosporium maydis</i>crop protectiondisease controlfungus<i>Harpophora maydis</i>late wilt |
| spellingShingle | Ofir Degani Ran Yifa Asaf Gordani Paz Becher Assaf Chen Cultivars Resistance Assay for Maize Late Wilt Disease Biology <i>Cephalosporium maydis</i> crop protection disease control fungus <i>Harpophora maydis</i> late wilt |
| title | Cultivars Resistance Assay for Maize Late Wilt Disease |
| title_full | Cultivars Resistance Assay for Maize Late Wilt Disease |
| title_fullStr | Cultivars Resistance Assay for Maize Late Wilt Disease |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cultivars Resistance Assay for Maize Late Wilt Disease |
| title_short | Cultivars Resistance Assay for Maize Late Wilt Disease |
| title_sort | cultivars resistance assay for maize late wilt disease |
| topic | <i>Cephalosporium maydis</i> crop protection disease control fungus <i>Harpophora maydis</i> late wilt |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/12/1854 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ofirdegani cultivarsresistanceassayformaizelatewiltdisease AT ranyifa cultivarsresistanceassayformaizelatewiltdisease AT asafgordani cultivarsresistanceassayformaizelatewiltdisease AT pazbecher cultivarsresistanceassayformaizelatewiltdisease AT assafchen cultivarsresistanceassayformaizelatewiltdisease |