Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Small Grain Disease Topic Discussions Stripe rust in Arkansas. A recent series of epidemics have resulted in an ongoing breeding effort in winter wheat. It is unknown whether the rust can survive summers since the pathogen relies on cool night temperatures. In the fall, pustules have not been identified on grass hosts in the area, which may indicate that spores must re-establish after each summer. Fungicides. Pat Lipps solicited fungicide efficacy updates, specifically regarding ?Quilt?, Syngenta?s recently registered azoxystrobin and propiconazole mix foliar application fungicide. An electronic version of the updated table is available at www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ohiofieldcropdisease. In addition, Pat added a summary of Federal fungicide label restrictions for products used on wheat and average costs of fungicides for Ohio grain producers (Appendix B). Marcia McMullen prepared a table listing the amount of active ingredients (ai) for foliar-applied fungicides with more than one ai (e.g. Quilt, Stratego) compared with those containing a single ai (Tilt, Quadris, Headline, and Folicur). EPA recently granted a Section 18 request to Kentucky for Folicur application for Fusarium head blight (FHB) suppression. However, agency comments in the notification letter must be addressed in future applications. The group discussed and organized a multi-state effort to address both issues. Uniform disease nursery effort for Stagonospora nodorum of winter wheat. Cooperators planted winter wheat lines last fall to support multi-state research efforts on Stagonospora nodorum. Researchers at some test locations have already recorded disease ratings while others will rate soon. Disease responses to all economically important diseases will also be recorded. Data will be sent to Greg Shaner for compilation. Karnal bunt update. Bob Bowden advised that the NC-503 committee focused on karnal bunt had expired, but a new committee (NC-1015, Managing Karnal Bunt of Wheat) has been approved. The disease is a minor one and does not deserve quarantine status. Deregulation efforts are underway to encourage countries to lift restrictions and/or bans, but progress is slow and the effort is ongoing. Charlie Rush is working to establish a karnal bunt forecasting model for use in Texas, since disease expression is so closely tied to weather conditions. Fusarium head blight DON concentrations. In the past, researchers assumed increased fungal DNA in grain would result in increased DON concentration. However, in Pat Hart?s lab no reliable DNA to DON correlations have been observed. Further investigation is needed. Predictive FHB epidemic models. Erick De Wolf discussed the evolution of his experimental FHB disease epidemic models. Phase II models are about 80% accurate and have been deployed across the U.S., from as far west as the Dakotas to the wheat-growing areas on the east coast. The Penn State-based scab forecasting website can be accessed at www.wheatscab.psu.edu. Integration of marker-aided selection for host resistance. Bob Bowden stated that public genotyping programs in three countries (US, Australia, and Canada), support research on diseases of small grains such as leaf rust, eyespot, stripe rust, barley yellow dwarf, and wheat streak mosaic. Genotyping centers in the U.S. are located at Raleigh, NC (soft red winter wheat), Manhattan, KS (hard red winter wheat), and Fargo, ND (Barley). Labs will process a limited number of samples using high throughput DNA extraction. Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV). Bill Bockus has monitored BYD of winter wheat in Kansas since 1976 and has determined that it is increasing. He opened the discussion to other researchers for a U.S. survey of the disease. Arkansas Gene Milus stated the disease is currently at a 10-yr. epidemic level. Kentucky Don Hershman reported occasional epidemics. Prominent consulting companies encourage growers to spray insecticides regardless of risk. Louisiana Boyd Padgett notes it every year in the state, but BYD seldom causes significant loss. Missouri Laura Sweets stated that it was widespread in 2002. In other years it has been more scattered and statewide. Ohio Pat Lipps has recorded a BYD epidemic in 1 of 25 years. Oklahoma Bob Hunger noted more severe disease symptoms during the late-1980s and 1990s. Virginia Erik Stromberg noted that yield loss has been as high as 30% from fall infection, but his research has not resulted in spring infection loss. Growers routinely use insecticide treatments for aphid control. Stripe rust plot inoculation in Kansas. Bob Bowden wants to inoculate research plots during March (April or May) and does not want to have to depend on natural inoculum levels for his research. However, inoculation presents an ethical issue if the activity results in spores being spread to off-site locations. After some discussion, Gene Milus agreed to consider adding Kansas germplasm to his inoculated disease nursery effort. Bob and Gene will communicate further about the potential for collaboration. Old Business. Randy Rowe gave a brief summary on the history of the committee and efforts during 2002 to obtain a re-approval. During its midterm review, the committee must provide evidence of: (1) Research collaborations between committee members; (2) Information exchange and research activity coordination with WCC-97; and (3) Molecular expertise among committee members. Progress toward objectives was reviewed in detail. Election of officers for 2005 and selection of meeting location. Charla Hollingsworth agreed to advance to Chair during 2005. After some discussion, Eric Stromberg agreed to accept the position of Secretary during 2005. During the 2003 meeting, Gary Bergstrom agreed to host the NCR-184 meeting during 2005 in the State of New York. Gary?s proposal was accepted, and he will be contacted about setting the meeting dates.

The NCR-184 was reorganized during 2002 to coordinate research on the broad range of disease issues that must be addressed in order to maintain profitable small grain production in the eastern U.S. Outputs: · Submission of grain kernel samples for DON mycotoxin testing from multi-state fungicide treatments at plant growth stages Feekes 10.3 and later to determine whether strobilurin applications prior to heading contribute to increased DON levels in response to comments made by the EPA regarding Folicur. Lead scientists: Don Hershman (KY) and Pat Hart (MI) · Collaborative grant application to USDA/National Research Initiative funding application submitted to support research on stripe rust. Lead scientists: Gene Milus (AR) and Bob Bowden (KS) · Collaborative efforts are ongoing among several states for data collection of hourly weather parameters, wheat planting and flowering dates, and FHB disease severity ratings to support development and validation efforts of additional FHB epidemic forecasting models with increased accuracies. Lead scientist: Erick De Wolf (PN) · Researchers in southern wheat growing regions communicate disease incidence and severities concerning economically important diseases that later spread across the U.S. in a northerly direction by means of spores or insect vectors (leaf and stripe rust, aphid transmission of barley yellow dwarf virus). Early-season communication allows northern states to estimate potential inocula loading and risk of epidemics. Don Hershman (KY), Dean Malvick (IL), Laura Sweets (MO), Bob Hunger (OK), Gene Milus (AR), Greg Shaner (IL), Boyd Padgett (LA) · Fungicide efficacy control table, Federal fungicide label restrictions, and Cereal fungicide equivalents have been distributed via hard and electronic formats so state researchers can include the information in their extension and outreach activities. Lead scientists: Pat Lipps (OH) and Marcia McMullen (ND) · Negotiations are ongoing with the American Phytopathological Society (APS) to produce a revised APS Wheat Compendium. Lead scientists: Bob Bowden (KS), Greg Shaner (IN), and Dick Smiley (OR). Activities: · Organization of a uniform, multi-state Stagonospora nodorum winter wheat disease nursery. First year data are pending. Lead scientists: Greg Shaner (IN) and Pat Lipps (OH) · Erick De Wolf extended an invitation to Tim Murray, chair of the WCC-97 committee for a joint committee meeting to be held during 2006 in Fargo, ND. Erick proposed that a half-day joint session could be held to discuss common interests and disease issues, and the remainder of the meeting could focus on regional topics. Tim agreed to discuss this proposal with members of the WCC-97 committee during its upcoming June of 2004 meeting. · Many committee members depend on molecular techniques to complete research and diagnostic activities. Bob Bowden introduced information concerning the new USDA Genotyping Centers now available for use. Collaborations are being encouraged.