The limited population sizes used in many quantitative trait locus (QTL) detection experiments can lead to underestimation of QTL number, overestimation of QTL effects, and failure to quantify QTL interactions. We used the barley/barley stripe rust pathosystem to evaluate the effect of population size on the estimation of QTL parameters. We generated a large (n = 409) population of doubled haploid lines derived from the cross of two inbred lines, BCD47 and Baronesse. This population was evaluated for barley stripe rust severity in the Toluca Valley, Mexico, and in Washington State, USA, under field conditions. BCD47 was the principal donor of resistance QTL alleles, but the susceptible parent also contributed some resistance alleles. The major QTL, located on the long arm of chromosome 4H, close to the Mlo gene, accounted for up to 34% of the phenotypic variance. Subpopulations of different sizes were generated using three methods-resampling, selective genotyping, and selective phenotyping-to evaluate the effect of population size on the estimation of QTL parameters. In all cases, the number of QTL detected increased with population size. QTL with large effects were detected even in small populations, but QTL with small effects were detected only by increasing population size. Selective genotyping and/or selective phenotyping approaches could be effective strategies for reducing the costs associated with conducting QTL analysis in large populations. The method of choice will depend on the relative costs of genotyping versus phenotyping.

Mango anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp., is the most significant disease of mango (Mangifera indica L.) in almost all production areas around the world. In Mexico, mango anthracnose has only been attributed to C. asianum and C. gloeosporioides. The aims of this study were to identify the Colletotrichum species associated with mango anthracnose symptoms in Mexico by phylogenetic inference using the ApMat marker, to determine the distribution of these species, and to test their pathogenicity and virulence on mango fruits. Surveys were carried out from 2010 to 2012 in 59 commercial orchards in the major mango growing states of Mexico, and a total of 118 isolates were obtained from leaves, twigs, and fruits with typical anthracnose symptoms. All isolates were tentatively identified in the C. gloeosporioides species complex based on morphological and cultural characteristics. The Bayesian inference phylogenetic tree generated with Apn2/MAT intergenic spacer sequences of 59 isolates (one per orchard) revealed that C. alienum, C. asianum, C. fructicola, C. siamense, and C. tropicale were associated with symptoms of mango anthracnose. In this study, C. alienum, C. fructicola, C. siamense, and C. tropicale are reported for the first time in association with mango tissues in Mexico. This study represents the first report of C. alienum causing mango anthracnose worldwide. The distribution of Colletotrichum species varied among the mango growing states from Mexico. Chiapas was the only state in which all five species were found. Pathogenicity tests on mango fruit cultivar Manila showed that all Colletotrichum species from this study could induce anthracnose lesions. However, differences in virulence were evident among species. C. siamense and C. asianum were the most virulent, whereas C. alienum and C. fructicola were considered the least virulent species.

Sixteen barley cultivars with a susceptible infection type (IT = 7-8) in the seedling stage to an isolate of race 24 of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei were planted at two locations in Mé xico. Disease severity (DS) parameters were assessed for the flag leaf and for the upper three leaves. The cultivars represented at least five levels of quantitative resistance ranging from very susceptible to quite resistant. ''Granado'', ''Gloria/Copal'' and ''Calicuchima-92'' represented the most resistant group and had an IT of 7 or 8. The cultivar · environment interaction variance, although significant, was very small compared with the cultivar variance. The disease severity parameters were highly correlated. The monocyclic parameter DS m , measured when the most susceptible cultivar had reached its maximum DS, was very highly correlated with the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), r being 0.98.Components of quantitative resistance were evaluated in two plant stages. In the seedling stage small cultivar effects for the latency period were observed, which were not correlated with the quantitative resistance measured in the field. In the adult plant stage the latency period (LP), infection frequency (IF) and colonization rate (CR) were measured in the upper two leaves. The LP was much longer than in the seedling stage and differed strongly between cultivars. The differences in IF were too large, those in CR varied much less. The components showed association with one another. The LP and IF were well correlated with the AU-DPC (r = 0.7-0.8).

The resistance to yellow rust {Puccinia striiformis f. sp. hordei) of 500 advanced barley lines from the ICARDA/CIMMYT breeding programme in Mexico was evaluated on seedHngs in the greenhouse and on adult plants in the field. A high frequency of advanced Unes (85.8%) showed a susceptible reaction (infection type ^ 7) on seedHngs after inoculation with isolate Mex-1, representing a Mexican variant of race 24. This indicates the absence of effective hypersensitive resistance. In addition, the same advanced hnes showed a large variation in disease severity in the field, ranging from 0 to 95%. More than 76% of the advanced lines with a susceptible reaction in the seedling stage demonstrated low disease severity (10% or less in the adult plant). Consequently, these advanced lines possess high levels of quantitative resistance.Two aspects in the ICARDA/CIMMYT barley breeding programme may explain the large number of advanced lines with high levels of quantitative resistance. First, a recurrent selection approach is applied when advanced (F5) lines reaching homozygosity are intercrossed. Second, low levels of disease are accepted in the selection process instead of selecting the ultimate green plant. Both aspects combined allow the accumulation of quantitative resistance. Certain cultivars released from South-American national programmes in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Peru (UNA-80), Bolivia (IBTA 80) and Ecuador (Teran) are still resistant, demonstrating the durable nature of quantitative resistance to yellow rust.

Spot blotch (SB) caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem is a destructive fungal disease affecting wheat and many other crops. Synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW) offers opportunities to explore new resistance genes for SB for introgression into elite bread wheat. The objectives of our study were to evaluate a collection of 441 SHWs for resistance to SB and to identify potential new genomic regions associated with the disease. The panel exhibited high SB resistance, with 250 accessions showing resistance and 161 showing moderate resistance reactions. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) revealed a total of 41 significant marker–trait associations for resistance to SB, being located on chromosomes 1B, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3D, 4A, 4D, 5A, 5D, 6D, 7A, and 7D; yet none of them exhibited a major phenotypic effect. In addition, a partial least squares regression was conducted to validate the marker–trait associations, and 15 markers were found to be most important for SB resistance in the panel. To our knowledge, this is the first GWAS to investigate SB resistance in SHW that identified markers and resistant SHW lines to be utilized in wheat breeding.