QLK5-2000-00241 Resistance of spruce to root and butt rot disease

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Contract No:	QLK5-2000-00241
Source:	Six Month Progress Report - February 2002 - Abstract

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Six Month Progress Report - February 2002 - Abstract

Objectives

The general aim of this project is to exploit the natural resistance to root and butt rot, caused by Heterobasidion species, present in populations of the economically important conifers Picea abies and P. sitchensis cultivated in European forests. The objectives will be met by completion of the following work.

• To test clones of Norway and Sitka spruce from tree breeding programmes for resistance/susceptibility to root and butt rot caused by Heterobasidion annosum, H. parviporum and H. abietinum using glasshouse and field inoculations.
• To elucidate the inheritance of resistance/ susceptibility to root and butt rot amongst progeny of Picea abies and P. sitchensis from breeding programmes using statistical analysis software packages
• To develop protocols for predicting the heritability of resistance/susceptibility in proposed crosses, based on genetic data from inoculations and biochemical/ molecular data
• To establish protocols allowing the rapid and early detection of resistant genotypes in selection and breeding programmes using monoterpene analyses and molecular methods (quantitative trait linkages - QTLS; amplified fragment length polymorphisms - AFLPS).
• To examine the mechanisms of resistance of relevant host tissues to penetration by, and growth of the pathogen in clones using both biochemical and histological and histochemical methods.

Activities

The main activities in this reporting period were testing clones of Norway and Sitka spruce from the tree breeding programmes for resistance/ susceptibility to root and butt rot caused by Heterobasidion annosum, H. and H. abietinum using glasshouse and field inoculations and establishment of protocols allowing rapid and early detection of resistant genotypes in selection and breeding programmes using monoterpene analyses.

Results and Milestones

This interim report covers the first 6 months of the project activities. It covers preliminary work related to work packages 1 and 4. However, milestone results were not anticipated within this reporting period. The start up meeting was held in Aberdeen in October 200. At this meeting the aim was to standardise the communal experimental protocols to be adopted within the project, so that results from all partners will be directly comparable. The second meeting was held in Brussels March 2002. The day was spent discussing results obtained to date and planning future work, especially on work package 5 (see below). The third meeting was planned for Oslo, Norway in August 2002 while the fourth meeting will take place in Florence, Italy, in March 2003.

Benefits and Beneficiaries

The main exploitable benefit of this research will be the availability of clones of Norway and Sitka spruce with defined resistance to the European species of Heterobasidion. These may be used in planting programmes on badly infested sites or on farm forestry planting, where the site conditions are conducive to disease development. Clones will also be available for incorporation into further spruce breeding programmes. Beneficiaries will be, in the short term, forest nurseries that will be able to market clonal material of lower susceptibility to decay by Heterobasidion, and in the long-term, forest management companies who will obtain greater quantities of higher quality timber from plantations containing less susceptible genotypes.

Future

Work will proceed with the glasshouse and nursery inoculations. Consolidated reports from all partners will be presented at the third meeting in Oslo, August 2002. These reports will be assessed and summarised before the end of the first 12-month period.

Workpackage 2: As data from the results of the inoculation experiments becomes available the statistical analyses will continue.

Workpackage 3: Work is due to start in month 19.

Workpackage 4: Terpene analyses continue in the coming months as material becomes available frona the inoculation experiments.

Workpackage 5: During the next 6 months AFLP and SSR analysis will continue with the parental trees and progeny being screened to map the population.

Workpackage 6: Work is due to start in month

Workpackage 7: The optimisation of resin embedding and sectioning of bark samples will be developed.