Diseases

Powdery mildew — durum wheat

Triticum durum Desf.

A fungal disease of durum wheat caused by the obligate biotroph Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. It manifests as a white, web-like coating on aerial organs, leading to tissue necrosis and reduced photosynthetic activity of the plant.

In the reference 151 varieties crop Durum wheat, where this is mentioned in the description.

The causal agent of powdery mildew on durum wheat belongs to the specialized form Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, which infects wheat and triticale without spreading to other cereals. The infection initially manifests as a white, web-like coating, which over time densifies into powdery pustules of a gray or brown hue. Infection begins on the lower leaf sheaths and gradually spreads to the leaf blades, stems, and spikes, forming fruit bodies, known as cleistothecia, at later stages.

The development of the disease is accompanied by the destruction of chlorophyll, yellowing, and tissue necrosis, which negatively affects the tillering and heading processes of wheat. To combat the pathogen, Pm resistance loci are used in breeding; however, their effectiveness in the durum wheat gene pool is limited, which necessitates introgression of genes from wild relatives, such as Aegilops tauschii.

General information about the subject — on the page Powdery mildew.

Sources8

Varieties of Durum wheat mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.