John Innes Centre researchers are working with plant breeders to understand more about the economically important fungal disease, eyespot and identify novel sources of genetic resistance to the disease that could be used to protect our cereal crops.

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Reference: Differential seedling resistance to the eyespot pathogens, Oculimacula yallundae and Oculimacula acuformis, conferred by Pch2 in wheat and among accessions of Triticum monococcum, C. Burt  Plant Pathology (2010) 59, 819–828 Doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3059.2010.02307.x

Identification of a QTL conferring seedling and adult plant resistance to eyespot on chromosome 5A of Cappelle Desprez  C. Burt, et al,, Theoretical and Applied Genetics (2010) DOI: 10.1007/s00122-010-1427-1

Collaboration: RAGT Seeds Ltd

Funding: BBSRC and the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) through a BBSRC-CASE award
Chris Burt has been studying eyespot on a CASE studentship in Dr Paul Nicholson’s group at the John Innes Centre.  Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering (CASE) allow students to receive high quality research training in collaboration with an industrial partner.  Chris’s CASE studentship was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA), and involved working with RAGT Seeds.