Septoria and stagonospora diseases of cereals: A compilation of global research

More than 2000 form-species of fungi, mostly plant parasites, comprise the genera Septoria and Stagonospora. The two most important pathogens in wheat production are Mycosphaerella graminicola (Septoria tritici) and Phaeosphaeria nodorum (Stagonospora nodorum). Primary inoculum for the wheat diseases caused by these pathogens is most often airborne ascospores, but may also be windand rain-borne conidia. Field diagnoses may be augmented and made more exact by use of rapid immunological tests and molecular genetic methods. Infection processes of S. tritici and S. nodorum are similar, but penetration by S. tritici is known only via stomata. Patterns of occurrence of the two pathogens have changed dramatically in recent years. Septoria tritici has become more important in northern Europe, and S. nodorum incidence has increased in parts of North Africa. Changes in cultivars and cultural practices are thought to be responsible for the shifts in pathogens and diseases. Genetics of resistance in the wheat host and virulence in the pathogen populations continues to be unclear. Some gene-for-gene interactions have been shown, but in field situations resistance is generally observed as nonspecific and pathogen populations vary most in aggressiveness. and nomenclature was published in 1997 (Cunfer, 1997) and 1999 (Cunfer and Ueng, 1999). I believe that we should urge from this venue, as did those attending the Fourth International Workshop on Septoria of Cereals (July 4-7, 1994, IHAR, Radzikow, Poland), that all workers accept and use the latest