In a number of SAWCIT-funded research projects, we are attempting to map the chromosome positions of novel rust resistance genes that could be used in future by barley and wheat breeders – adding to the many we have made available to them in the past.
An important aspect of this work is sound phenotypic data – in this case the level and type of disease resistance exhibited by the plants. In this regard our collaboration with plant pathologist, Prof Willem Boshoff (University of Free State), is key. We are fortunate that Prof Sakkie Pretorius also joined us on one of our field trips to Greytown, KZN, as an extra set of eyes for scoring . We are grateful to Corteva AgriscienceTM and Pidelta for hosting the stem rust field trials enabling us to have access to the best possible data.
Closer to home in the Overberg region we performed another round of field tests for Ramularia (Ramularia collo cygni or Rcc) in the boot of our car. Thank you to all the collaborators who reported possible Ramularia infections! We need your eyes in the field to keep looking out for this disease, as early detection will help the industry to curb its spread.
Through SABBI, we were contacted by Dr Ben Ovenden, plant pathologist at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in New South Wales, Australia. We will be working with him in future to better characterise the South African Rcc isolates that have been collected. On a recent SAWCIT-funded capacity building trip, Kelly Jordaan had the opportunity to meet Dr Ovenden in person at the International Barley Genetics Symposium in Argentina (field trials pictured above) and to visit INIA (Uruguay) to walk through their disease nurseries.
We are excited see what new information this data will yield once the analyses started!
