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Verticillium wilt resistance

 

Potential for a verticillium wilt disease rating explored

HGCA is exploring ways to assess verticillium wilt resistance in oilseed rape varieties to help develop a disease rating system.

A call has been issued by the organisation asking the research community to develop a programme of work that may eventually lead a new disease rating for verticillium wilt.

Jenna Watts, who helps manage HGCA’s disease research, said: “This soil-borne disease was first identified in England in 2007.

“Tackling verticillium wilt sustainably relies upon varietal resistance being harnessed. But relatively few trials have looked at varietal resistance for this disease in the UK.

“We know from a limited number of HGCA trials that there are significant differences between varieties in the occurrence and severity of disease symptoms.

“The challenge is to develop a way to reliable test the capacity of varieties to withstand the disease and to produce robust disease ratings to help growers make better varietal choices as part of the Recommended Lists trials system.”

The call asks academic or research organisations to describe how they would:

1. Conduct an inoculated trial programme for verticillium wilt

2. Work with HGCA to provide information on varietal resistance/susceptibility and determine the yield loss caused by the disease.

HGCA has set aside a maximum budget of £120,000 over three years for the activity.

For further information, potential applicants are asked to visit www.hgca.com/calls before the proposal deadline of 29 January 2015.

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