Resistance of Sharon goatgrass (Aegilops sharonensis) to fungal diseases of wheat

ABSTRACT Sharon goatgrass (Aegilops sharonensis) is a wild relative of wheat that is native to Israel and Lebanon. The importance of A. sharonensis as a source of new resistance genes for wheat warrants additional research on the characterization of accessions for economically important genes. Thus, the objectives of this study were to evaluate a collection of A. sharonensis accessions for resistance to seven important fungal diseases of wheat and assess the phenotypic diversity of the germplasm for disease reaction. The frequency of resistance in A. sharonensis was highest to powdery mildew (79 to 83%) and leaf rust (60 to 77%). Resistance to stem rust also was common, although the percentage of resistant accessions varied markedly depending on the pathogen race—from 13% to race TTTT to 72% to race QCCJ. The frequency of resistance was intermediate to stripe rust (45%) and low to tan spot (15 to 29%) and spot blotch (0 to 34%). None of the A. sharonensis accessions was resistant to Fusarium head blight. ...