Protecting second wheat through the reduction of take-all inoculum build up
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: Plant Biology & Crop Science
Abstract
Take-all is one of the most important fungal diseases of UK winter wheat, with up to half the crop being affected with losses costing farmers up to 60m per annum. The disease causes root system damage, resulting in reduced water and nitrogen uptake, which impacts on both yield and quality. Current control measures are not 100% effective and include cultural practices and chemical control. Previous work at Rothamsted Research has shown that the varieties Avalon and Cadenza show differences in the amount of the take-all fungus left behind in the soil after harvest. This influences the inoculum available for infection of a second wheat crop. The genetic loci controlling this trait have been identified and the aim of this project is to utilise these results in developing varieties which resist take-all build up (TAB). The 1st objective will be to assess a further range of UK varieties and lines from the three partners with respect to this take-all build-up phenotype. The 2nd objective will be to map the genetic loci further, using more lines from the Avalon x Cadenza WGIN mapping population. From this analysis we aim to map this trait more finely in order to give us diagnostic markers for use in marker-assisted selection (MAS). The 3rd objective is to explore whether an above ground visible crop physiology trait exists which is associated with either low or high take-all inoculum build up in the soil below. This visual assessment could in the future be used as an additional diagnostic marker by the breeders.During this project, we will have selected varieties and advanced material for direct use in the market place which show this reduced TAB phenotype, giving added value to material currently entering registration. Development of UK varieties carrying this unique trait will benefit not only our companies, but also wheat productivity by increasing overall UK wheat yields consistently by up to 1.9 m tonnes pa specifically by improving the performance of 2nd wheat crops.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Kim Hammond-Kosack (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Hernández-Restrepo M
(2016)
Take-all or nothing.
in Studies in mycology
Mauchline TH
(2015)
An analysis of Pseudomonas genomic diversity in take-all infected wheat fields reveals the lasting impact of wheat cultivars on the soil microbiota.
in Environmental microbiology
McMillan VE
(2018)
Exploring the resilience of wheat crops grown in short rotations through minimising the build-up of an important soil-borne fungal pathogen.
in Scientific reports
Mehrabi Z
(2016)
Pseudomonas spp. diversity is negatively associated with suppression of the wheat take-all pathogen.
in Scientific reports
Palma-Guerrero J
(2021)
Take-All Disease: New Insights into an Important Wheat Root Pathogen
in Trends in Plant Science
| Title | Take-all disease of Cereal Crops |
| Description | A 15 min video on the problems causes in wheat and other cereal crops caused by Take-all root disease. Then the video goes on to describe two new methods to control Take-all using either crop genetics or a taxonomically related soil dwelling antagonistic fungus that could potentially be applied as a seed coating or in row liquid application at drilling. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | This video and two accompanying posters are used to raise the awareness of the farming community and the water industry to the take-all root disease problem and its negative environmental impacts. |
| Description | The new root trait called low-take all inoculum build up has been found to be present in the current commercial elite wheat cultivars. Specific commercial cultivars have been identified which consistently exhibit the lowTAB trait across multiple sites, multiple seasons and multiple agronomy practices. This new trait can now be used to improve the heath of wheat roots in fields where farmers choose to grow consecutive wheat crops |
| Exploitation Route | The results will be used by commercial farmers, crop consultants and agronomists starting in 2016 as well as AHDB in the future |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| URL | http://www.wgin.org.uk/ |
| Description | Permission was obtained to sample the UK recommended list winter wheat trials in 2014 and 2015 to explore the new trait The results have been presented at a meeting to both AHDB and the wheat breeding community in 2015 and again in 2016. The results have been presented at the event Cereals 2016 in Cambridgeshire to farmers, farm consultants and agronomists and at the Cereals 2017 in Lincolnshire. A publication (McMillan et al ( 2018) Nature Scientific reports) with an accompanying press release occurred in June 2018. The press release was entitled ' First steps to lasting wheat health ' and our latest findings on this new trait and the results of the sampling of the AHDB trials were reported subsequently in the most appropriate Agricultural Magazines. • Crop Tech event Nov 2019 in Peterborough interacted with various companies and explained the low-TAB trait and concept. As a result established a new collaboration with Anglian Water which involved a visit to farmer, in Northamptonshire in May 2021. The intention going forward is to evaluate the relationship between the low TAB trait on second wheat root health and the impact on water quality from fertiliser run-off in a farm situation. Two situations will be explored, (1) arable fields adjacent to rivers where abstraction for drinking water regularly occurs and (2) arable fields adjacent to a water reservoir used to supply drinking water. • The 2 day Cereals event 2021, Cambridgeshire: We hosted an interactive poster and living crop display on using crop genetics to reduce the take-all inoculum build-up in the soil. Numerous interacted with farmers, farm managers, farm agronomists and soil specialists to explain the take-all problem, low TAB trait and which cultivars on the current recommended list do /or do not possess this desirable trait. • Syngenta funded project with Rothamsted 2020/2021: evaluating the low TAB trait on selected Syngenta breeding lines and existing elite commercial lines. • In 2020 Syngenta drilled a replica design of the two year take-all wheat cultivar rotation experiment, as published by McMillan et al, Scientific Reports, 2018 (doi:10.1038/s41598-018-25511-8) to evaluate the low TAB trait in selected Syngenta wheat cultivars. • Take-all review: Take-all disease: new insights into an important wheat root pathogen. Palma-Guerrero et al, Trends in Plant Science 2021, vol 26 number 8. This is the 1st take-all review for 15 years and with new images and illustrations on this root disease, its direct and indirect economic and environmental impacts and the various new approaches to disease control including the LowTAB trait. We are using this review when interacting with companies. • International Wheat Genome sequencing consortium webinar December 2021 (audience size ~130). Several USA based wheat breeding companies in the audience. The lowTAB trait and the take-all risk to 2nd and 3rd wheat was explained to > 2000 farmers at the Cereals event in Cambridgeshire. A provisional list of current commercial wheat varieties with the lowTAB trait was provided to farmers for on farm use starting in Oct 2022. Interactions with the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC) membership took place in July via a field visit to Rothamsted followed by an online seminar and discussion in Sept. Suggestions to change agronomy and use lowTAB cultivars in difficult high risk wheat intensive cropping rotations to lower take-all disease levels were discussed. Follow up exchanges of relevant information took place. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | BBSRC - DTP studentship (Osborne) |
| Amount | £108,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2012 |
| End | 09/2016 |
| Description | BBSRC Estates Business Case - Repairs to Building 58 - the Field trials laboratory for Plant Pathology research - |
| Amount | £432,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BC20-022 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2020 |
| End | 02/2021 |
| Description | BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme Grant |
| Amount | £16,000,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2017 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme Grant 20:20 wheat |
| Amount | £10,500,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | BBS/E/C/00005203 |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2012 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | BBSRC- CASE studentship with HGCA (McMillan) |
| Amount | £108,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2008 |
| End | 09/2012 |
| Description | CASE - studentship ( Osborne) |
| Amount | £16,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Agrii |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2013 |
| End | 09/2017 |
| Description | CASE - studentship (Osborne) |
| Amount | £16,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2013 |
| End | 09/2017 |
| Description | Evaluating imaging technology for detecting fungal colonisation of wheat roots and for assessing their impact on plant health (Niamh Kavanagh BSPP Summer bursary project) |
| Amount | £2,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Rothamsted Research |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2018 |
| End | 08/2018 |
| Description | Evaluating the potential of beneficial Gaeumannomyces species for the control of take all disease in wheat (student Tania Chancellor) |
| Amount | £108,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Rothamsted Research |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2017 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | Food Security joint PhD project between Rothamsted Research, University of Notingham and University of Reading |
| Amount | £106,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Rothamsted Research |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2011 |
| End | 09/2014 |
| Description | HGCA part sponsored PhD studentship (McMillan) |
| Amount | £37,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2008 |
| End | 09/2012 |
| Description | Industry (Moughan) |
| Amount | £246,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Syngenta International AG |
| Department | Syngenta Crop Protection |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2013 |
| End | 09/2017 |
| Description | Innovation Centres UK (CHAP) |
| Amount | £2,469,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2016 |
| End | 03/2018 |
| Description | Young person apprenticeship - Jess Hammond Take-all Team leading to a college qualification as a Lab Technician Plant Pathology Level 3 |
| Amount | £42,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Government of the UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2018 |
| End | 09/2020 |
| Description | Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC) visit to Rothamsted facilities and field tour July 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The AICC membership were walked through an amazing four independent replica, 1st vis 3rd wheat take-all field experiment which included 30 test wheat genotypes involving diploid T. monococcum wheats, Watkins landraces, modern and current elite commercial hexaploid wheats as well as rye and triticale plots. There was exceptionally high disease pressure in many of the 3rd wheat plots whereas the 1st wheat plots in the neighbouring blocks were disease free. The AICC visitors could see first-hand the devastating effects of take-all disease in many of the 3rd wheat plots on plant stature, canopy development as well as the invasion of weed species into the take-all patches. Within this trial the new source for take-all root resistance Watkins 777 and T. monococcum MDR031 displayed excellent crop development in the 3rd wheat position. The AICC visitors also learnt that even though rye is resistant to take-all in the roots in a 2nd or 3rd wheat situation, this species is still able to build up take-all inoculum in the root rhizosphere in a 1st wheat situation and is therefore a high-TAB genotype. Therefore after rye crops neither wheat nor barley should be grown where there is a risk of Take-all disease occurring. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Cereals event 2019, Lincolnshire 12th - 13th June take-all and aphid plot and poster displays presented |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Two displays were devised to showcase specific wheat germplasm identified in DFW that could combat the threat of two major biotic threats namely Take-all root disease and aphid infestation of the crop canopy and wheat spikes. The take-all display was designed and presented by Kim Hammond-Kosack and Gail Canning. The aphid display was designed by Gia Aradottir, but presented by Kim Hammond-Kosack. The purpose of both living plot, poster and live samples displays was to explain the two biotic threats and their impacts on the wheat crop to farmers,farm managers, farm advisors and members of the professional wheat breeding community. Both displayed focussed on the identification of specific Watkins wheat lines and Triticum monococcum accessions that exhibit moderate to high levels of resistance to either biological problem. Over the exceptionally rainy two day event > 900 people from visited the display asked questions and sort advice on cropping rotations involving winter and spring drilled cereals. The interacting visitors came from all over the UK, several European counties as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | East Anglia AICC talk and discussion - on line Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Detailed on line two hr presentation and discussion on take-all root disease causes and problems in arable rotations where wheat crop frequency is high. The participants from Rothamsted were long time take-all team member and field trials specialist Gail Canning and Take-all team Leader Kim Hammond-Kosack. The discussions included the six AICC members explaining difficult on farm scenarios that had been repeatedly encounters at multiple sites in different years and asking our opinions on control options and alterations to the other cropped species and agronomic practices used in wheat dominated rotations. Post the meeting information was exchanged and we now have lists of cultivars that appear to do well in 2nd wheat situations across East and/or the Midlands that could possible be included in future field trial experimentation at Rothamsted. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Farmer_Agronomist engagement at Cereals Event June 2022 Cambridgeshire |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Phenomenal interest in this Take-all root disease and health root system display, > 1000 visitors over 2 days. A three poster and six large field plot display at the annual Cereals event. We showcased the LowTAB trait and how this could be used by farmers, farm managers and agronomists to improve the health of root systems in 2nd wheat rotation positions and hence improve fertiliser uptake. We were able to provide to the visitors a provisional recommended list for ~10 winter wheat cultivars tested over 2- 5 seasons so that they could make informed choices about which cultivars to use in 1st and/or 2nd wheat situations on their farms. Also considerable information was given on what are the major causes of this root disease and the effects of grass weeds on disease severity and resistance. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | LiveWheat project - Lead organisation The Organic Research Centre - Cirencester |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Attended the annual project meeting in 2020 and 2021 , to discuss low input agriculture for successful wheat crops. Provided expertise for fungal disease control. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020,2021 |
| URL | https://www.organicresearchcentre.com/our-research/research-project-library/farm-based-organic-varie... |
| Description | Regular interactions with the company Anglia Water since Jan 2020 to discuss ways to increase farmers knowledge of take-all root disease in sensitive water catchment areas and new ways to control this disease problem through crop genetics. Have produced two posters and a video which have been shared with farmers in the Bedford - Huntingdon region |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Discussion with drinking water company to explain the problem of root diseases in cereal crops and how this causes nutrient run off into neighbouring water courses Explained a new genetic solution to controlling take-all root disease by growing commercial elite wheat cultivar that have the low Take-all inoculum build-up (LowTAB ) trait Produced two posters and a video to explain the take-all disease problem to farmers in East Anglia Identified a trial group of farmers to engage with. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
| Description | Take-all - wheat plots and poster demonstrations at Cereals in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Take-all - wheat plots and poster demonstrations in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 were used to communicate our research results and their implications for the control of root diseases to farmers and industry at the annual Cereals event. In 2012 and 2014 we focussed on communicating our research on identifying root resistance to take-all disease in wheat landraces, the wheat D genome progenitor Aegilops tauschii and the ancient einkorn wheat Triticum monococcum. We included small plots of these different species and take-all infected root samples to show visitors. In 2015 and 2016 we focussed on genetic control of take-all using the low take-all inoculum building trait in elite wheat varieties. In 2015 Sarah-Jane Osborne (Take-all PhD student, BBSRC+AHDB+Agrii funding), aligned to this and other related project, manned an additional poster display on the AHDB stand on her PhD work characterising the potential biocontrol Phialophora fungal species. In 2016 Joseph Moughan (Take-all PhD student, fully Syngenta funded) also had a separate poster display on the RRes stand in the Rothamsted Syngenta 20:20 wheat collaboration (RoSy) area illustrating his progress on combining genetics and chemistry for integrated take-all disease management. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2014,2015,2016 |
| Description | Take-all entry into CropProtect website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Provided a detailed entry for Take-all disease to the CropProtect website. This provides information to farmers/growers and specialists agricultural advisors on take-all root disease diagnosis and the various ways to minimise the disease in cereal crops. Smart growers and farmers use Croprotect to find out about pest, weed and disease management, especially in situations where effective pesticides are not available and alternative approaches are required. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
| URL | https://croprotect.com/ |
| Description | Take-all poster display and video at the virtual Cereal 2020 event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Online poster display and video to highlight the importance of take-all root disease in wheat crops, the various aspects of the ongoing research studies within the five person Take-all team and to explain the new ways we have devised to control this disease. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcVlx7R5QZ |