Differentiation of genetic resources of winter triticale by resistance to the causative agent of pink snow mold (Microdochium nivale (Fr.) Samuels and I.C. Hallett)

Pink snow mold, caused by the low-temperature ascomycete Microdochium.nivale (Fr.) Samuels and I.C. Hallett), is a regular occurrence in winter triticale (x Triticosecale, Wittm.). It is the most common and damaging phytopathogen in temperate and cold climates. Field experiments were conducted at the laboratory of winter rye and triticale breeding of the Tatar Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture FRC KazSC of RAS in 2020–2022. The experiments were carried out under both natural and artificial infectious conditions. The samples were screened in the laboratory by infecting detached leaves with the most virulent strain of Microdochium.nivale, F00608. The study focused on 50 hexaploid samples of winter triticale from the N.I. Vavilov VIGRR gene collection. The results demonstrated that the mean disease damage score for winter triticale samples on the artificial infection background was 6.39 ± 1.52, while in natural conditions of infection development, the score was 3.34 ± 0.94. A correlation coefficient of r = -0.708 was observed between snow mold damage on the artificial infectious background and yield. The development of snow mold resulted in a significant loss in yield, amounting to 50.4%. The results of the field studies demonstrated that the majority of winter triticale cultivars were susceptible to pink snow mold. The forms with relatively high levels of field and laboratory resistance were identified. The sources of field resistance to snow mold have been identified as potential candidates for further use in breeding. The varieties Beta 2, Doctrine 110, Capral, Nemchinovsky 56, Bashkirskaya korotkostebelnaya, Tsekad 90 and Altaysky 5 have been identified as resistant to both natural infection and epiphytotic load. The varieties Pyatrus, Kroha, Privada, Gorka, Almaz, Capella, Tribun have demonstrated high resistance to pink snow mold in detached leaves, and are therefore recommended for use in genetic studies.

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