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Effect of Infection by Cephalosporium gramineum on Winter Wheat¹

Under greenhouse conditions inoculum density studies with Cephalosporium gramineum Nisikado and Ikata indicated that at least 10⁶ conidiospores per winter wheat plant (Triticum aestivum L.) were required to affect yield components and that maximum disease was obtained with 10⁸ conidiospores per plant. Inoculation was accomplished by slicing the root system of vernalized plants with a knife and pouring a predetermined concentration of conidia into the soil slice. Infected plants were stunted, had reduced yield, and had higher levels of protein than healthy plants. The yield components most affected by this disease were number and weight of seeds (kernels) per head. Shriveling of kernels reduced the carbohydrate present and resulted in a relative increase in percent protein. The number of heads produced by infected plants was never significantly different from the number of heads produced by healthy plants. Yield losses were as high as 78%, thus giving an indication of the potential destructiveness of this pathogen under severe disease conditions. Symptom expression was found to be of little value in accurately estimating the degree of susceptibility to the pathogen. No relationship was found between the number of minor genes present for stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis west.) resistance and susceptibility to C. gramineum.

This work examines the host-parasite interaction, a preprequisite to establishing guide lines that could be applied to a screening program for the development of resistant and/or tolerant cultivars.

Key Words: Inoculum density • Minor genes • Yield Components

² Research Associate and Professor, respectively, Department of Botany and Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont. 59715.

Received for publication April 29, 1972.