Dr. Juliet Marshall, Belayneh Yimer, Margaret Moll
Idaho, one of the largest cereal producers in the United States, is facing a significant pressure from cereal cysts nematodes (CCN) that can significantly reduce grain yield in susceptible and intolerant varieties. Widespread damage is spring cereal production occurs annually from Ashton to St. Anthony, and to the Rexburg and Idaho Falls areas. Due to weather conditions in the spring (e.g. a wet weather pattern in May) and early planting of cereal crops, large numbers of nematodes find homes on cereal roots, causing extensive damage while simultaneously building residual soil populations.
Integrated pest and disease management and control strategies for this pathogen require accurate and extensive knowledge on genetics of the host and pathogen. Studies in 2013 and 2014 revealed large differences in the degree of susceptibility to CCN among various wheat varieties. Since then, there has been a very large change in the varieties available to growers. As markets change, new wheat varieties have been introduced from European companies and newly released PNW lines have not been tested for resistance to CCN.
These new lines have added to the number of choices available to area producers. The screening of the varieties and advanced breeding lines that are currently being tested in the extension variety trials will aid in determining variety adaptation to local conditions.