Cross-infectivity of Helminthosporium isolates occurring on barley and other graminaceous hosts Kaur Amrinder*, Sharma Vineet K Department of Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, Punjab *Corresponding author: augaulakh@pau.edu
Online published on 12 April, 2021. Abstract Foliar blights of graminaceous host are one of the important fungal diseases causing considerable losses to the crops. Under Punjab conditions, foliar blight/spot blotch of wheat and barley (Bipolaris sorokiniana) and leaf spot of oats (Drechslera avenae) are one of the devastating fungal diseases causing considerable reduction in the grain yield. Fifty leaf samples showing typical disease symptoms of foliar blight were collected from different barley, wheat and oats growing areas of Punjab. Samples were also collected from the commonly found weed in the wheat fields i.e. Phalaris minor. Considering the pathogenic behaviour of different isolates on their respective susceptible checks viz., PL426 (barley), HD2329 (wheat), OL-9 (oats) and P. minor, the most virulent isolate from each host i.e. Bsb1, Bsb32, Bsp46 and Da46 from barley, wheat, P. minor and oats, respectively were selected to check their cross- infectivity on different graminaceous hosts including weed hosts under pot house conditions. It was observed that isolate Bsb1 and Bsw32 from barley and wheat, respectively were more aggressive exhibiting moderately resistant to susceptible reaction on different hosts, followed by Bsp34 from P. minor. Isolate Da46 from oats was least aggressive thus exhibiting resistant to moderate reaction on the different tested hosts. Hence, for B. sorokiniana, wheat, barley and oats can serve as collateral hosts. The test isolates developed moderately resistant and resistant reaction on rice also, hence, it can also help in the perpetuation of the pathogen. Top Keywords Barley, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Cross-infection, Drechslera avenae, Oats, Phalaris minor, Wheat. Top |