Resposta à vernalização de cultivares brasileiras de trigo Vernalization response of brazilian wheat cultivars

Vernalização é o processo pelo qual as plantas são induzidas a florescer através da exposição a temperaturas baixas não congelantes. Funções de resposta à vernalização foram ajustadas para caracterizar trigos de inverno, mas ainda não as foram para trigos brasileiros. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram determinar a sensibilidade à vernalização de algumas cultivares de trigo do sul do Brasil e ajustar uma função não linear de reposta à vernalização para estas cultivares. Foram aplicados oito tratamentos de vernalização (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 e 49 dias de vernalização) em seis cultivares de trigo (BRS Louro, BRS 177, BRS Tarumã, CEP 51, CEP 52 e Nova Era). A cultivar BRS Louro não foi responsiva aos tratamentos de vernalização, na cultivar BRS Tarumã ocorreu forte sensibilidade à vernalização, similar a trigos de inverno, e nas cultivares BRS 177, CEP 51, CEP 52 e Nova Era a resposta à vernalização foi intermediária. Para as cultivares responsivas à vernalização foram ajustadas funções não lineares que podem ser usadas em modelos de simulação do desenvolvimento de cultivares sul brasileiras de trigo com distintos requerimentos em vernalização.<br>Vernalization is a process by which plants are inducted to enter the reproductive phase through an exposure to low nonfreezing temperatures. Vernalization response functions have been proposed for winter wheats, but no indication of vernalization response functions for Brazilian wheats were found in the literature. The objectives of this study were to evaluate vernalization response of some Brazilian wheat cultivars and to fit a vernalization response function for these cultivars. Eight vernalization treatments (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 vernalization days) and six wheat cultivars (BRS Louro, BRS 177, BRS Tarumã, CEP 51, CEP 52 e Nova Era) were used. The cultivar BRS Louro showed no response to vernalization, BRS Tarumã was strongly sensitive to vernalization, similar to winter wheat, and cultivars BRS 177, CEP 51, CEP 52, and Nova Era presented intermediate vernalization response. For the cultivars that presented some response to vernalization, response functions are presented, which can be used in models for simulating the development of Brazilian wheat cultivars with distinct vernalization requirements

Gaeumannomyces graminis, the take-all fungus and its relatives

Take-all, caused by the fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, is the most important root disease of wheat worldwide. Many years of intensive research, reflected by the large volume of literature on take-all, has led to a considerable degree of understanding of many aspects of the disease. However, effective and economic control of the disease remains difficult. The application of molecular techniques to study G. graminis and related fungi has resulted in some significant advances, particularly in the development of improved methods for identification and in elucidating the role of the enzyme avenacinase as a pathogenicity determinant in the closely related oat take-all fungus (G. graminis var. avenae). Some progress in identifying other factors that may be involved in determining host range and pathogenicity has been made, despite the difficulties of performing genetic analyses and the lack of a reliable transformation system.Peer reviewe