Effet de l’hôte et de la température sur la structure de la population de Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, agent de la rouille jaune du blé au Moyen Orient

The adaptation of fungal pathogen to its hosts and to the climate variation, in particular to the temperature, was investigated on wheat stripe (yellow) rust, caused by the biotroph fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) in the Middle East, focusing on Lebanon and Syria. This disease is a major problem for the crop in the region. Specific resistance genes were postulated in 138 wheat genotypes including elite lines, grown varieties and local landraces, using an array of 11 French pathotypes. Resistance gene diversity for yellow rust in wheat elite lines was higher than in current, commercial varieties grown in Lebanon, with nine Yr genes detected singly or in combination. Some varieties were resistant to all tested pathotypes and might provide interesting sources of resistance. Most of the Lebanese landraces were susceptible but also heterogeneous by their number of plants susceptible and resistant to a specific pathotype in a same landrace.A field survey was conducted in Lebanon and Syria in 2010-2011 and 275 Pst isolates were collected. The pathogen population was genotyped with 20 microsatellite markers and was found to be clonal, although the alternate host Berberis libanotica is present in the region. The dominant multilocus genotype shared similarity with the new invasive strain PstS1/PstS2 dispersed worldwide since 2000. The population was clonal with 10 pathotypes detected in Lebanon and Syria. 50 MLGs were detected considered high for clonal population. The virulence profiles combining Vr2, Vr6, Vr7, Vr9, and Vr27 are typical of the Mediterranean area according to group (Bahri et al., 2009) and corresponded to the worldwide invasive pathotype described since 2000 (Milus et al., 2009). The Vr8 was not fixed in this population, whereas this virulence is frequent in the Mediterranean genetic group (Bahri et al., 2009).Recently Pst strains have been described for adaptation to warm temperature (Milus et al., 2009; Mboup et al., 2012). The question of temperature adaptation in this study was whether the strains adapted to warm temperature are found in few clones of invasive strains or if they are selected in different pathogen genotypes locally under specific climate conditions. We selected 26 Pst isolates from the Middle East, 13 isolates from warm and 13 isolates from cold areas. We assessed their infection efficiency and latent period under four temperature regimes (high and warm temperature for the spore penetration phase, and high and warm temperature for the latency period). The isolates differed for the thermal aptitude for infection efficiency and latent period, but no clear relationship was established between the climate of the origin location of the isolate and its thermal aptitude. Some isolates were able to infect at high temperature but had long latency at high temperature and vice versa, some isolates had low infection efficiency and short latent period at high temperature, and few isolates were efficient either at high temperature or cold temperature for infection efficiency. Latency period showed pattern of local adaptation. Warm dew temperatures retarded sporulation, but this effect was far less marked for isolates from warm climates when incubated under warm conditions.This study provides details about probable effective yellow rust genes present in different genotypes and the prevalent pathotypes in the region. Moreover, the thermal aptitude for infection efficiency and latent period of some isolates under contrasting temperature will help us to build a better integrated disease management in the highlight of global warming.L’adaptation des pathogènes à leurs hôtes et aux variations climatiques, particulièrement à la température est étudiée sur l’agent pathogène biotrophe obligatoire responsable de la rouille jaune du blé, Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) au Moyen Orient. Cette étude s’est déroulée au Liban et en Syrie situés dans le berceau de la région de domestication du blé. Des gènes de résistance spécifique ont été postulés au stade plantule pour 87 lignées élites du programme d’amélioration de l’ICARDA,28 cultivars Libanais, et 23 landraces Libanaises en utilisant 11 pathotypes français disponibles à l’INRA-BIOGER. Un seul gène et une combinaison de gènes ont été postulés dans les lignées elites. Neuf gènes de résistance ont été identifiés dans les lignées élites ; plus de génotypes résistants figuraient parmi les lignées issues du programme d’amélioration. Les landraces sont les plus sensibles mais ont montré une ségrégation de réaction résistance parmi les plants sensibles.Pour la structuration de population pathogène du Liban et de la Syrie, un échantillonnage a été fait dans les deux pays sur du blé tendre, du blé dur et des repousses durant 2010-2011. Six isolats Libanais et 48 isolats Syriens ont été pathotypés avec une gamme de 43 hôtes différentiels. 275 échantillons ont été génotypés avec 20 marqueurs SSR. La population était clonale malgré avec la présence de l’hôte secondaire Berberis sp. dans la région, toutefois un nombre élevé de 50 MLG est observé était pour une population clonale. La présence de la race invasive PstS1/PstS2 caractérise cette région. Le profil de virulence Vr2, 6, 7, 9, 27 est le plus fréquent et typique du groupe génétique Méditerranéen (Bahri et al., 2009). La virulence Vr8 n’est pas fixée dans la population malgré sa présence dans la race invasive décrite depuis l’an 2000 (Milus et al., 2009). L’adaptation de la rouille jaune à la température a été décrite par Milus et al. (2009) et Mboup et al. (2012). Notre étude d’adaptation à la température a été faite sur un échantillon de 26 isolats provenant de zones froides et chaudes avec 4 isolats de référence. Nous avons testé deux paramètres d’agressivité, efficacité d’infection et période de latence sous quatre différents régimes de température (Chaud versus froid pour période de rosée et période d’incubation). Les isolats diffèrent pour leur réponse aux variations de température. Quelques isolats montrent une efficacité d’infection et une courte période de latence sous les différents régimes, d’autres sont efficaces au froid mais pas au chaud et vice versa. Pour l’efficacité d’infection, il n’y a pas d’adaptation mais par contre pour la période de latence on montre une adaptation à la température des isolats de la zone chaude ayant une efficacité d’infection. La température chaude de rosée a retardé la période de latence mais ce phénomène a été moins marqué pour les isolats d’origine chaude quand c’est incubé au chaud. Cette étude a montré que la population est clonale avec un haut nombre de pathotypes. Le germplasme n’est pas diversifié avec des gènes de résistance contre la rouille jaune. L’adaptation de l’agent de la rouille jaune à la température parmi les isolats testés a été décrite pour la période de latence pour les isolats provenant d’origine chaude

Surveillance and monitoring the cereal rust diseases in Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia in 2022

Tracking the movement of the wheat rust pathogens and monitoring their pathogenic variabilities are the main pillars in successful breeding for durable rust resistance and disease management programs. Despite the severe drought conditions in wheat growing areas in CWANA in 2022, the rust surveillance was coordinated by the Regional Cereal Rust Research Center-Turkey in Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia, following the BGRI rust surveillance protocols. The national rust surveillance teams at the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (Morocco), and INSTITUT NATIONAL DES GRANDES CULTURES-TUNISIA (Tunisia) conducted the rust surveys in target countries. The GPS coordinates of survey sites, the status of rust diseases, and crop phenology were collected and shared with the online Global Cereal Rust Surveillance and Monitoring System (https://rusttracker.cimmyt.org) following the BGRI standard rust surveillance protocol (https://rusttracker.cimmyt.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2013-Updated-BGRI-protocols-v2-web.pdf)

National Alliance of Stakeholders for the Wheat Sector in Lebanon: Multistakeholder Workshop Report

On July 24, 2023, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) under the Ministry of Agriculture organized a Multistakeholder Workshop on “National Alliance of Stakeholders for the Wheat Sector in Lebanon”. The agenda of the workshop is provided in Appendix 1. More than 20 representatives of various stakeholders attended the workshop, including officials of key government ministries and agencies, researchers from multiple research institutes, non-governmental and non-profit organizations, representatives of the United Nations (UN) agencies, and the private sector

Effectiveness of Innovation Platforms in Enhancing the Viability of the Wheat Seed Sector in Terbol Station, Lebanon

The objective of this research was to assess the effectiveness of the innovation platform (IP) (Terbol Station) on the wheat seed sector in Lebanon. Data were collected from 16 seed producers after identifying and mapping the key stakeholders in the seed sector. Descriptive statistics was used to categorize and evaluate the efficacy of the innovation platform by identifying six groups: seed availability and access, knowledge and training, seed production and market impact, incentives, joint planning, and the situation of the seed sector in Lebanon. Incentives and joint planning were found to be the primary groups of the IP that the farmers emphasized their importance. The correlation between different groups was found to be statistically significant. Farmers noted that the wheat seed sector is non-profitable and, therefore, needs financial support and joint planning of the value chain. The study recommends the intervention of the government and the Ministries of Agriculture and Economy & Trade by customizing governance strategies and policies. In addition, the adaptation of regulatory measures of the wheat seed sector and agricultural guidance can provide essential information, recommendations, and expertise to optimize the production, distribution, and utilization of seeds in Lebanon

Diversity of thermal aptitude of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici isolates from different altitude zones

The worldwide spread of wheat yellow rust lineage PstS1/S2 adapted to higher temperatures prompted us to investigate how diverse temperature responses of this lineage are in the Middle East, where diversity was previously observed within this lineage for pathotypes and genotypes. Here we highlight the diversity of response to temperature within a PstS1/S2 population. Twenty-six isolates from eight countries and different altitudes, which were tested under four combinations of cold and warm incubation and postincubation temperature conditions, showed diversity for infection efficiency (IE) and latency period (LP). IE of the various isolates ranged from 5.8% to 13.7% under cold (5°C) and 0.04% to 1% under warm (20°C) incubation temperatures. LP varied from 10.2 days under warm to 4.43 days under cold incubation. LP of isolates from the same country could differ by 2 days. Significant differences in thermal aptitudes of the isolates were observed between and within countries. IE and LP diversity was not related to altitude origin of the isolates on the whole; however, a trade-off between IE and LP was observed for isolates from low altitude (<400 m) under a warm regime. We showed diversity for thermal aptitude for IE and LP of isolates belonging to the same PstS1/S2 lineage. Understanding Pst temperature aptitude among geographically distant isolates of the same clonal lineage may help to identify the geographic range of pathogens and also to improve forecast models or breeding programmes

LEGU-MED: Developing Biodiversity-Based Agriculture with Legume Cropping Systems in the Mediterranean Basin

Environmental degradation and the decrease of ecosystem service provision are currently of major concern, with current agricultural systems being a major driver. To meet our future environmental and sustainability targets a transformation of the agro-food systems and current agricultural value chain are crucial. One approach to redesign farming systems is the concept of biodiversity-based agriculture (BBA) which relies on sustainable diversification of biological components and their natural interactions in farming systems to maximize fertility, productivity, and resilience to external perturbations. Despite minimizing anthropogenic inputs, BBA is not yet able to meet all beneficial environmental objectives. BBA applied in the Mediterranean basin requires urgent innovation in approaches, methodologies, and models for small-holder traditional farming systems to ensure a stable provision of ecosystem services and better resilience to environmental stresses linked to climate change. Legumes are the backbone of the Mediterranean agro-ecosystems from ancient times, but their unique and wide biodiversity was not sufficiently valorized, especially by North-African countries. Here, we present LEGU-MED, a three-year international project funded by PRIMA initiative 2019. An international consortium was established involving five universities, 5 research institutes, and one private company from 8 countries: Italy, Germany, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon, and Croatia. The main objective of this project is to put forward an international and well-integrated plan to valorize the legume agrobiodiversity of the Mediterranean in biodiversity-based farming systems and consequently enhance agro-ecosystem functions and services in the Mediterranean basin. The successful completion of LEGU-MED will have the following impacts on Mediterranean legume-based farming systems: (1) improve water use efficiency, (2) reduce the use of anthropogenic inputs through the maintenance of soil fertility, (3) enhance pollination and improve ecological connectivity with flora and fauna, (4) protect close-by wildland ecosystems, (5) enhance other ecosystem services (e.g., pest, disease, and weed suppression), and (6) provide healthier and safer protein-rich food. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Effect of host and temperature on the population structure of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, responsible of yellow rust in the Middle East

L’adaptation des pathogènes à leurs hôtes et aux variations climatiques, particulièrement à la température est étudiée sur l’agent pathogène biotrophe obligatoire responsable de la rouille jaune du blé, Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) au Moyen Orient. Cette étude s’est déroulée au Liban et en Syrie situés dans le berceau de la région de domestication du blé. Des gènes de résistance spécifique ont été postulés au stade plantule pour 87 lignées élites du programme d’amélioration de l’ICARDA,28 cultivars Libanais, et 23 landraces Libanaises en utilisant 11 pathotypes français disponibles à l’INRA-BIOGER. Un seul gène et une combinaison de gènes ont été postulés dans les lignées elites. Neuf gènes de résistance ont été identifiés dans les lignées élites ; plus de génotypes résistants figuraient parmi les lignées issues du programme d’amélioration. Les landraces sont les plus sensibles mais ont montré une ségrégation de réaction résistance parmi les plants sensibles.Pour la structuration de population pathogène du Liban et de la Syrie, un échantillonnage a été fait dans les deux pays sur du blé tendre, du blé dur et des repousses durant 2010-2011. Six isolats Libanais et 48 isolats Syriens ont été pathotypés avec une gamme de 43 hôtes différentiels. 275 échantillons ont été génotypés avec 20 marqueurs SSR. La population était clonale malgré avec la présence de l’hôte secondaire Berberis sp. dans la région, toutefois un nombre élevé de 50 MLG est observé était pour une population clonale. La présence de la race invasive PstS1/PstS2 caractérise cette région. Le profil de virulence Vr2, 6, 7, 9, 27 est le plus fréquent et typique du groupe génétique Méditerranéen (Bahri et al., 2009). La virulence Vr8 n’est pas fixée dans la population malgré sa présence dans la race invasive décrite depuis l’an 2000 (Milus et al., 2009). L’adaptation de la rouille jaune à la température a été décrite par Milus et al. (2009) et Mboup et al. (2012). Notre étude d’adaptation à la température a été faite sur un échantillon de 26 isolats provenant de zones froides et chaudes avec 4 isolats de référence. Nous avons testé deux paramètres d’agressivité, efficacité d’infection et période de latence sous quatre différents régimes de température (Chaud versus froid pour période de rosée et période d’incubation). Les isolats diffèrent pour leur réponse aux variations de température. Quelques isolats montrent une efficacité d’infection et une courte période de latence sous les différents régimes, d’autres sont efficaces au froid mais pas au chaud et vice versa. Pour l’efficacité d’infection, il n’y a pas d’adaptation mais par contre pour la période de latence on montre une adaptation à la température des isolats de la zone chaude ayant une efficacité d’infection. La température chaude de rosée a retardé la période de latence mais ce phénomène a été moins marqué pour les isolats d’origine chaude quand c’est incubé au chaud. Cette étude a montré que la population est clonale avec un haut nombre de pathotypes. Le germplasme n’est pas diversifié avec des gènes de résistance contre la rouille jaune. L’adaptation de l’agent de la rouille jaune à la température parmi les isolats testés a été décrite pour la période de latence pour les isolats provenant d’origine chaude.The adaptation of fungal pathogen to its hosts and to the climate variation, in particular to the temperature, was investigated on wheat stripe (yellow) rust, caused by the biotroph fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) in the Middle East, focusing on Lebanon and Syria. This disease is a major problem for the crop in the region. Specific resistance genes were postulated in 138 wheat genotypes including elite lines, grown varieties and local landraces, using an array of 11 French pathotypes. Resistance gene diversity for yellow rust in wheat elite lines was higher than in current, commercial varieties grown in Lebanon, with nine Yr genes detected singly or in combination. Some varieties were resistant to all tested pathotypes and might provide interesting sources of resistance. Most of the Lebanese landraces were susceptible but also heterogeneous by their number of plants susceptible and resistant to a specific pathotype in a same landrace.A field survey was conducted in Lebanon and Syria in 2010-2011 and 275 Pst isolates were collected. The pathogen population was genotyped with 20 microsatellite markers and was found to be clonal, although the alternate host Berberis libanotica is present in the region. The dominant multilocus genotype shared similarity with the new invasive strain PstS1/PstS2 dispersed worldwide since 2000. The population was clonal with 10 pathotypes detected in Lebanon and Syria. 50 MLGs were detected considered high for clonal population. The virulence profiles combining Vr2, Vr6, Vr7, Vr9, and Vr27 are typical of the Mediterranean area according to group (Bahri et al., 2009) and corresponded to the worldwide invasive pathotype described since 2000 (Milus et al., 2009). The Vr8 was not fixed in this population, whereas this virulence is frequent in the Mediterranean genetic group (Bahri et al., 2009).Recently Pst strains have been described for adaptation to warm temperature (Milus et al., 2009; Mboup et al., 2012). The question of temperature adaptation in this study was whether the strains adapted to warm temperature are found in few clones of invasive strains or if they are selected in different pathogen genotypes locally under specific climate conditions. We selected 26 Pst isolates from the Middle East, 13 isolates from warm and 13 isolates from cold areas. We assessed their infection efficiency and latent period under four temperature regimes (high and warm temperature for the spore penetration phase, and high and warm temperature for the latency period). The isolates differed for the thermal aptitude for infection efficiency and latent period, but no clear relationship was established between the climate of the origin location of the isolate and its thermal aptitude. Some isolates were able to infect at high temperature but had long latency at high temperature and vice versa, some isolates had low infection efficiency and short latent period at high temperature, and few isolates were efficient either at high temperature or cold temperature for infection efficiency. Latency period showed pattern of local adaptation. Warm dew temperatures retarded sporulation, but this effect was far less marked for isolates from warm climates when incubated under warm conditions.This study provides details about probable effective yellow rust genes present in different genotypes and the prevalent pathotypes in the region. Moreover, the thermal aptitude for infection efficiency and latent period of some isolates under contrasting temperature will help us to build a better integrated disease management in the highlight of global warming

Diversity of genes for resistance to stripe rust in wheat elite lines, commercial varieties and landraces from Lebanon and Syria

Stripe (yellow) rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a major threat to wheat production in Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA). Effective fungicides are available, but host resistance remains the most economical, effective and ecologically sustainable method for stripe rust control. Understanding the genetic diversity of resistance to Pst is a key element in breeding for durable rust resistance. Multipathotype tests were performed on 87 elite lines of bread wheat from the spring wheat breeding programme at the International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), 23 Lebanese bread and durum wheat varieties, and 28 Lebanese landraces, with 11 Pst pathotypes. Low and high infection types were identified for the resistance genes Yr1, Yr3, Yr4, Yr6, Yr7, Yr9, Yr17, Yr25, Yr27, and Yr32. All but one of these genes (Yr32 being the exception) were postulated. ICARDA elite lines displayed greater diversity for Yr genes than the Lebanese varieties and landraces. Yr27 was the most frequent Yr gene postulated singly in the Lebanese varieties. Yr7, together with other unidentified Yr genes, was the most frequent gene in the ICARDA elite lines. Combinations of two Yr genes were common in ICARDA elite lines. These results confirm that the landraces consist of several genotypes. Seventy-five percent of landraces were susceptible to all pathotypes, but they displayed resistance diversity, with different proportions of resistant seedlings. In two landraces, some plants were resistant to the Warrior pathotype, which has recently spread in CWANA regions, and to other pathotypes. This indicates the presence of new resistance genes in these landraces. Some landraces, elite ICARDA lines and Lebanese varieties were completely resistant to all pathotypes, and are therefore potential sources of new resistances

Pathotype diversification in the invasive PstS2 clonal lineage of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici causing yellow rust on durum and bread wheat in Lebanon and Syria in 2010–2011

International audienceYellow rust is the major wheat disease in central West Asia and North Africa. Recently, severe epidemics have occurred, with major yield losses in 2010–2011 in Lebanon and Syria. We conducted an extensive field survey, with a collection of 273 samples of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici , to explore the origin of these epidemics. All samples were genotyped with 20 microsatellite markers, and 54 isolates were pathotyped. The population was dominated by the PstS2 lineage, which has spread worldwide since 2000 and displays considerable pathotype diversity (10 pathotypes). The 22 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) detected corresponded to variants of the clonal lineage PstS2, but they differed from the common PstS2 genotype found in the worldwide study conducted between 1981 and 2010. No strong differentiation was observed between Lebanon and Syria. The dominant MLG in Syria was common to both countries. Nine MLGs were found exclusively in the Syrian population and four were restricted to the Lebanese population, including the dominant MLG in Lebanon. The predominant MLG‐11 was found in nine pathotypes, at high frequency. The dominant pathotype in Syria was virulent against widely deployed resistance genes (Yr2 , Yr6 , Yr7 , Yr9 , Yr25 , and Yr27 ); virulence against Yr3 , Yr8 , Yr17 , and YrSP occurred at various frequencies, but Yr1 , Yr4 , Yr5 , Yr10 , Yr15 , and Yr32 were effective against all isolates. No host effect was detected. The presence of diverse host populations consisting of landraces and elite varieties, and diverse climatic conditions may account for the unexpectedly high diversity of this clonal population