Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The objectives of NCERA 184 are to: 1. Facilitate collaborative research on current and emerging diseases of small grains. Specifically: a) The integrated management of Fusarium head blight b) Fungicide efficacy trials for diseases of small grains c) Epidemiology and risk management d) Screening of uniform regional nurseries for resistance to economically important pathogens e) Studies of the population biology of small grain pathogens f) Develop disease and economic threshold models to improve foliar disease management in wheat g) Stem rust surveillance and preparation of stem rust race Ug99. 2. Promote the exchange of information, techniques, fungicide efficacy results, disease resistant germplasm and pathogen cultures among small grains researchers in order to coordinate the development of integrated management strategies for important diseases. Accomplishments for Objective 1. Facilitate collaborative research on current and emerging diseases of small grains a. Integrated Management of Fusarium head blight (FHB). Several members of NCERA 184 have been conducting FHB integrated management field research trials as part of a multi-state effort led by Pierce Paul (Ohio St. Univ.) and supported by the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI). Results from these trials have been used in Extension programming across the U.S., and have been utilized for the development of a ScabSmart website supported by USWBSI. b. Fungicide Efficacy Trials for Diseases of Small Grains. A Foliar Fungicide Efficacy Table has been developed and is updated annually by NCERA 184 members for the past several years. Results from foliar fungicide trials conducted by NCERA 184 members and others are utilized to develop this table. The table has been widely used by Extension specialists, crop consultants, industry personnel, and growers throughout the U.S., especially areas east of the Rocky Mountains. c. Epidemiology and Risk Management. NCERA 184 members coordinated the national level deployment of disease prediction models for Fusarium head blight (hosted at: www.wheatscab.psu.edu). These prediction models are used in 24 states east of the Rocky Mountains. Specialists in each of these states have the opportunity to provide text commentary about disease observations in the state and to help provide additional information about their state's risk of FHB based on the prediction output. The FHB prediction center's website receives thousands of visits every year with peaks prior to and during flowering of small grain crops in each state. Erick de Wolf (Kansas St. Univ.) is leading a stem rust surveillance effort, in which several NCERA 208 members are cooperating. One of the goals of this effort is to help detect for the presence of the TTKS race of stem rust, which is an international threat to wheat. Members of NCERA 208 also are cooperating in developing educational material about TTKS stem rust and other rust diseases of wheat. Additionally, NCERA 184 members submit rust observations during the season to the Cereal Rust Bulletin and list-serv. These specific state observations alert other states on their individual state's risk of rust diseases and provide information on when and where rust could arrive in a state. d. Screening of Uniform Regional Nurseries for Resistance to Economically Important Pathogens. NCERA 184 members shared their latest research results on resistance of wheat cultivars and lines in coordinated regional nurseries to Fusarium head blight, Septoria tritici blotch, Stagonospora nodorum blotch, tan spot, stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, and several viral diseases. This shared information on varietal reaction is incorporated consistently into regional and state extension recommendations. e. Studies of the Population Biology of Small Grains Pathogens. NCERA 184 members collected and submitted samples of the major rust pathogens of the small grains (e.g. leaf, stem and stripe rusts of wheat, crown rust of oats, etc.) to collaborating USDA-ARS scientists (Y. Jin, J. Kolmer, and X. Chen) for race and virulence determination. This project allows continual monitoring of the population/virulence structure of cereal rusts in North America and provides critical guidance to small grains breeding programs. f. Members of NCERA-184 successfully acquired funding and initiated a two-year research-extension project to develop disease and economic threshold models to improve foliar disease management in wheat. Beginning in 2009, similar field experiments were conducted in OH, IN, IL, and WI to 1) evaluate the relative disease management, yield, and economic benefits of early-season (pre flag-leaf emergence) foliar fungicide application in soft red winter wheat, 2) evaluate the relevance of existing flag leaf-based foliar fungicide application thresholds and develop novel thresholds based on yield and economic criteria, and 3) Implement training programs for soft red winter wheat production in the North Central region using winter workshops and field demonstrations. g. A proactive plan for surveillance of stem rust for changed virulence and assessment of small grain cultivars for resistance and foliar fungicides for management has been set in motion prior to the arrival of the Ug99 strain of stem rust in North America. A publication produced in preparation for Ug99 stem rust was customized with logos and contact information (generally the NPDN labs) for use in 26 states and 1 Canadian province. A national version of the publication (regional hubs of NPDN as contacts) was developed for the USDA-CDL, and 2 states that did not want a customized version of the publication. The 33,600 printed publications were also distributed as part of the project. Accomplishments for Objective 2. Promote the exchange of information, techniques, fungicide efficacy results, disease-resistant germplasm, and pathogen cultures among small grain researchers in order to coordinate the development of integrated management strategies for important small grain diseases. A wheat disease listserv (wheatdisease@listerv.ksu.edu) has been established and is hosted at Kansas State University. Subscribers to the listserv include NCERA 184 committee members as well as other university, extension, and government personnel that work on small grain diseases. This listserv serves as an electronic forum in which NCERA 184 members can communicate throughout the year. NCERA 184 members also communicate and exchange information through other forums, such as the cereal rust survey listserv (cereal-rust-survey@lists.umn.edu) and regional and national meetings. Because the 2010 North Central APS meeting overlapped with the NCERA-184 meeting, participants were able to interact with plant pathologists from the north central region. This provided the opportunity for members to learn about and discuss ongoing north central region disease issues. Many members from NCERA 184 developed grant proposals and collaborated in research grants funded by the U. S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI). Multi-state projects include Coordinated Uniform Fungicide Research Trials to control Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Integrated Management Research Trials to control FHB. NCERA-184 members continue to collaborate on research projects funded by other agencies.