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Review
. 2018 Jun;19(6):1523-1536.
doi: 10.1111/mpp.12618. Epub 2017 Dec 26.

A review of wheat diseases-a field perspective

Melania Figueroa  1 , Kim E Hammond-Kosack  2 , Peter S Solomon  3
Affiliations
Review

A review of wheat diseases-a field perspective

Melania Figueroa et al. Mol Plant Pathol. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Wheat is one of the primary staple foods throughout the planet. Significant yield gains in wheat production over the past 40 years have resulted in a steady balance of supply versus demand. However, predicted global population growth rates and dietary changes mean that substantial yield gains over the next several decades will be needed to meet this escalating demand. A key component to meeting this challenge is better management of fungal incited diseases, which can be responsible for 15%-20% yield losses per annum. Prominent diseases of wheat that currently contribute to these losses include the rusts, blotches and head blight/scab. Other recently emerged or relatively unnoticed diseases, such as wheat blast and spot blotch, respectively, also threaten grain production. This review seeks to provide an overview of the impact, distribution and management strategies of these diseases. In addition, the biology of the pathogens and the molecular basis of their interaction with wheat are discussed.

Keywords: Fusarium head blight/scab; Helminthosporium; Magnaporthe; blotch; fungal pathogens; rusts; wheat diseases.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Symptoms of wheat rust diseases caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (A), Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (B) and Puccinia triticina (C). Photographs courtesy of Rohit Mago.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Symptoms of foliar blotch diseases. (A) Septoria tritici blotch. (B) Tan spot. (C) Septoria nodorum blotch. (D) Spot blotch. Photographs courtesy of Dr Megan McDonald (A, B) and Erin Hill (C, D).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Symptoms of Fusarium head blight/scab. (A) Early infection signs manifested as a partially bleached wheat head. (B) Advanced infection of Fusarium graminearum manifested as an almost completely bleached wheat head.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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