Abstract
Wheat powdery mildew, caused by the obligate biotrophic fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt), is a devastating disease responsible for substantial global yield reductions. Host resistance offers the most sustainable management strategy, yet its durability is continually undermined by high evolutionary potential of the pathogen, driven by sexual recombination and rapid mutation. To decipher long-term virulence dynamics, we conducted a comparative analysis of Bgt populations in the Northwestern Himalayas over two decades (1994-1998 and 2015-2019). Pathotype profiling of 285 isolates on a common set of nine differential lines revealed a significant shift in virulence structure over time. While the mean virulence complexity per isolate increased in the contemporary population, indicating enhanced pathogenic capability, overall pathotype diversity decreased, suggesting a selective sweep toward fewer, more aggressive lineages. Marked changes in virulence frequency were observed with severe efficacy erosion for Pm1a (virulence increased from 6 to 63%) and Pm8, while virulence against Pm2, Pm3a, and Pm3b declined significantly. Notably, genes Pm2 and Pm4a demonstrated complete and durable effectiveness throughout the study period. Our results identify these as stable resistance donors and underscores the continuous adaptation of Bgt populations. This study provides critical insights for designing durable resistance gene pyramids and underscores the necessity of continuous virulence surveillance to sustain wheat production in the face of evolving pathogen threats.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Pathotype profiling of 285 Bgt isolates on nine differential wheat lines showed a significant shift in virulence structure between 1994-1998 and 2015-2019.
- Taxon
- Wheat
Triticum aestivume7 - Interactor
- Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici
Blumeria graminis f. sp. triticit0pathogen - Outcome
- shift in virulence structuree0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Wheat powdery mildew”
t0“Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici”
e0“Pathotype profiling of 285 isolates on a common set of nine differential lines revealed a significant shift in virulence structure over time”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean virulence complexity per isolate increased in the contemporary Bgt population.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivume7
- Interactor
- Blumeria graminis f. sp. triticiBlumeria graminis f. sp. triticit0pathogen
- Outcome
- mean virulence complexity per isolatee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Wheat powdery mildew”
t0“Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici”
e0“the mean virulence complexity per isolate increased in the contemporary population”
Claim · model-written summary
Overall pathotype diversity of the Bgt population decreased.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivume7
- Interactor
- Blumeria graminis f. sp. triticiBlumeria graminis f. sp. triticit0pathogen
- Outcome
- overall pathotype diversitye0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Wheat powdery mildew”
t0“Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici”
e0“overall pathotype diversity decreased”
Claim · model-written summary
Efficacy of Pm1a eroded severely, with virulence increasing from 6 to 63%.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivume7
- Interactor
- Blumeria graminis f. sp. triticiBlumeria graminis f. sp. triticit0pathogen
- Gene
- Pm1ae0
- Outcome
- virulencee0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 6 to 63%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Wheat powdery mildew”
t0“Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici”
e0“severe efficacy erosion for Pm1a (virulence increased from 6 to 63%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Efficacy of Pm8 also eroded severely.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivume7
- Interactor
- Blumeria graminis f. sp. triticiBlumeria graminis f. sp. triticit0pathogen
- Gene
- Pm8e0
- Outcome
- severe efficacy erosione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Wheat powdery mildew”
t0“Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici”
e0“severe efficacy erosion for Pm1a (virulence increased from 6 to 63%) and Pm8”
Claim · model-written summary
Virulence against Pm2, Pm3a and Pm3b declined significantly.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivume7
- Interactor
- Blumeria graminis f. sp. triticiBlumeria graminis f. sp. triticit0pathogen
- Gene
- Pm2, Pm3a, and Pm3be0
- Outcome
- virulencee0
- Direction
- declinede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Wheat powdery mildew”
t0“Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici”
e0“virulence against Pm2, Pm3a, and Pm3b declined significantly”
Claim · model-written summary
Genes Pm2 and Pm4a showed complete and durable effectiveness throughout the study period.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivume7
- Interactor
- Blumeria graminis f. sp. triticiBlumeria graminis f. sp. triticit0pathogen
- Gene
- Pm2 and Pm4ae0
- Outcome
- complete and durable effectivenesse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Wheat powdery mildew”
t0“Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici”
e0“genes Pm2 and Pm4a demonstrated complete and durable effectiveness throughout the study period”
Claim · model-written summary
Pm2 and Pm4a are identified as stable resistance donors; the authors recommend them for durable resistance gene pyramids and continuous virulence surveillance.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivume7
- Outcome
- stable resistance donorse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“Wheat powdery mildew”
t0“Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici”
e0“identify these as stable resistance donors”