Topic: Protect crop plants from biotic stresses from field to market

Title of the proposal: Management of blast disease- an emerging threat to pearl millet
production in the semi-arid tropics of India
Section I What is your idea?
The idea − Problem statement: Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is a staple cereal
grown on about 29 million ha in the arid- and semi-arid tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Latin
America with India having the largest area of 9.3 million ha
(http://www.icrisat.org/PearlMillet/PearlMillet.htm). The crop is grown as a nutrient-rich food
source for humans as well as a forage/fodder crop for livestock. During the past three decades
single-cross F1 hybrids based on cytoplasmic-nuclear male-sterility (CMS) systems have
contributed significantly in increasing pearl millet productivity in India. Among several diseases
that affect pearl millet, downy mildew caused by Sclersopora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet has
already been a major problem of pearl millet hybrids. Now blast, also known as leaf spot caused
by Pyricularia grisea (Cooke) Sacc. [teleomorph: Magnaporthe grisea (Herbert) Barr] has
emerged as another serious disease affecting both forage and grain production in pearl millet.
Use of host plant resistance is the most feasible and economical means of managing this disease
as the crop is mainly cultivated by resource-poor farmers. Therefore, this disease needs
immediate attention and a systematic study to understand pathogen population and corresponding
resistance in the host to develop disease resistant hybrid parental lines and hybrids.
The idea − Essence: The essence of proposed research is the plant disease management
through resistance gene deployment in time and space that requires thorough
understanding of virulence spectrum of pathogen populations in the target ecology and
resistance sources for gene deployment.
The idea − Creative approach: Although host plant resistance has been the prime management
strategy for pearl millet diseases, systematic approach of utilizing resistance genes based on the
virulence spectrum of the pathogen populations in the target ecology is lacking. Since blast
severity has been increasing in almost all the public/private sector bred hybrids in India,
therefore, we propose to take up a systematic study to understand distribution of different
pathotypes/races of the pathogen in the different pearl millet growing ecologies, and
identification and categorization of different resistance genes for deployment in time and space
as a long term strategies to manage this disease. Finally, molecular mapping of resistance genes
will help introgression/pyramiding of resistance genes in the elite parental lines of farmers’
preferred hybrids.
The idea − Scientific basis: The pathogen infects several cereal crops, including rice, wheat,
pearl millet, finger millet and foxtail millet, and grasses. The fungus is highly variable, but highly
specialized in its host range. The rice blast pathogen is widely distributed and has many virulent
pathotypes. Many pathogenic races have been identified in M. grisea infecting rice and this
variability has been cited as the principal cause for the breakdown of resistance in rice varieties.
Though many resistance genes break down in a few years because of their race specificity and the
rapid change in pathogenicity of the fungus, rice blast has been effectively managed through host
plant resistance. Nearly 50 blast resistance genes have been identified and some of them
incorporated into several rice cultivars. A preliminary study on the pathogenicity test of the
isolates collected from different pearl millet growing areas and results of virulence nursery has
provided indication of pathogenic variability in M. grisea in India. Therefore, it is expected that
cultivation of resistant cvs. based on information on the prevalence of different races of the
pathogen will provide long term solution to this problem.
Section II How will you test it?
Experimental plan: Based on the experience with rice-blast system as well as with our initial
observations with pearl millet-blast, we expect large pathogenic variation in M. grisea
populations infecting pearl millet. The hypothesis of the proposed work is that information on the
prevalence of specific races/pathotypes in the target ecologies will help in utilizing corresponding
resistance gene [cultivation of cvs. with specific resistance gene(s)] in the target ecology as a long
term strategy to combat pearl millet blast. Both greenhouse and field screening techniques have
been standardized at ICRISAT and some resistance sources have been identified to the
Patancheru population of M. grisea. Putative host differential set will be developed by selecting
pearl millet lines from the virulence nursery for characterization and identification of different
pathotypes of the pathogen. For identification of resistance sources, pearl millet mini core
collection comprising 238 accessions that represents total diversity in the pearl millet germplasm
will be evaluated against different pathotypes. In addition, earlier designated pearl millet hybrid
parental lines developed at ICRISAT and available for public use will also be evaluated for their
reaction to different pathotypes to identify resistant lines if any. Finally lines with differential
reaction to the pathotypes will be selected for crossing to generate mapping populations (at least
3) segregating for resistance genes.
Time line:
Months Achievable targets
0 -Approval of the project
1-3 -Collection of M. grisea isolates (in addition to those available at ICRISAT) and selection
of putative host differentials from the pearl millet blast variability nursery.
-Isolation and purification of pathogen isolates
4-6 -Characterization of pathogen for virulence diversity and selection of pathotypes
7-9 -Evaluation of pearl millet mini core against different pathotypes to identify resistance
sources
-Crossing of resistant and susceptible lines to develop segregating populations
10-12 -Evaluation of designated pearl millet hybrid parent lines for blast resistance
-Selfing F1s to develop F2 populations
13-15 -Phenotyping F2 populations against different pathotypes to study inheritance of resistance
-Advancing F2s to develop RILs mapping populations for use in 2nd phase of the project
16-18 -Report writing
Budget: US$ 100,000
Data/information to be generated during Phase I
1. Isolates of pearl millet infecting populations of M. grisea for use by other scientists
2. Different pathotypes of M. grisea
3. Resistance sources to diverse pathotypes
4. Information on inheritance of blast resistance in pearl millet
5. Segregating populations for resistance gene mapping
Next steps- Proposed work plan for phase II:
1. Categorization of resistance genes
2. Development of differential set of near isogenic lines carrying different blast resistance
genes for monitoring virulence change in the pathogen
3. Molecular mapping of blast resistance genes in pearl millet
4. Introgression/pyramiding of genes for blast resistance along with earlier identified QTLs
for downy mildew resistance in the elite hybrid parental lines of commercial hybrids