Four components of resistance to Uromyces viciae-fabae, namely, latent period (LP), infection efficiency (IE), pustule size (PS) and spore production (SP) were evaluated on lentil (Lens culinaris) in glasshouse experiments. Four cultivars, Gudo, R-186, FLIP-87-66L and FLIP-89-60L, with different levels of resistance, and the susceptible check EL-142, were included in this study. The cultivars were also compared for area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), area under the pustule density curve (APDC), apparent infection rate (r G ), disease severity (DS), pustule density (PD), LP and PS under field conditions. Gudo and R-186 had significantly smaller and fewer pustules, lower spore yield and longer latent period than EL-142. FLIP-87-66L was intermediate for infection efficiency and pustule size. In addition, significant differences were found between cultivars for AUDPC, APDC, DS and r G . Estimates of AUDPC, APDC, DS and r G were reduced in Gudo, R-186 and FLIP-87-66L compared with the susceptible check EL-142. FLIP-89-60L also showed low AUDPC, APDC and DS. Some of the components obtained in the field were significantly correlated with each other (r = 0.92-0.99, P ≤ 0.05) and those measured in the glasshouse. Most of the components studied in the glasshouse were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) correlated with AUDPC and DS. Data indicated the existence of incomplete [partial (PR)] resistance in the test cultivars, and the possibility of using IE, LP, SP and PS as selection criteria in the evaluation of PR to rust in lentil. Since there was an interdependence of the components, selection based on more than one component should help obtain lines with higher levels of PR. The AUDPC, DS and r G could also be used for selecting lines with PR in the field.

A new race of Puccinia triticina was collected from common wheat {Triticum aestivum) in the Eastem and Western Cape provinces during the annual rust survey in 2009. Six single-pustule isolates from a field collection, which were shown to be a new race in preliminary analyses, were inoculated onto seedlings of 16 Thatcher (Tc) near-isogenic differential lines (1) and other tester lines with known Lr genes. Standard procedures for inoculation, incubation, and rust evaluation were followed (4) and all infection studies were repeated. The low infection type of Lrl8 was confirmed at I8°C. All six isolates were avirulent (infection types [ITs] 0; to 2) to Lrl, 2a, 2c, 9, 11, 16, 18, and 24 and virulent (ITs 3 to 4) to Lr3, 3ka, 10, 14a, 17, 26, 30, B, and Tc (control). The new race, named 3SA145 according to the ARC-Small Grain Institute notation, corresponds to race CCPS in the North American system (1). On the basis of seedling ITs of the extended Lr gene set, 3SA145 was avirulent (ITs 0; to 22+) to Lr2b, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 29, 32, 36 (E84081), 38, 45, 47 (KS90H450), 50 (KS96WGRC36), 5/ (R05), and 52 and virulent to Lr3bg, 15, 20 (Thew), 27+31 (Gatcher), and 33. Lines containing the adult plant resistance (APR) genes Lrl2 (RL601I, IT 3++), Lrl3 (CT263, IT 3), Lr22b (Tc, IT 4), and Lr37 (RL6081, IT 3) were susceptible in the adult stage to 3SA145, whereas lines with the APR genes Lr22a (RL6044, IT ;1), Lr34 (RL6058, IT Zl), and Lr35 (RL6O82, IT ;1) were resistant in controlled infection studies in a greenhouse. A control, the common race (3SA133), was virulent only on Tc adult plants. In seedlings, 3SA133 was avirulent to Lrl5, 17, 26, and 27+31, but unlike 3SA145, it was virulent to Lrl, 2c, II, 18, 24, and 28. Races 3SA133 and 3SA145 did not differ in their virulence to the remaining seedling genes. Virulence to Lr37 has been reported in several countries, including Australia, Canada, Uruguay, and the United States (1,2). Prior to the detection of 3SA145, adult plants of RL6081 were resistant to all wheat leaf rust races in South Africa. In 2009, however, RL6081 showed severity levels of up to 30S at certain Western Cape trap plot sites. Of 124 South African bread wheat cultivars and advanced breeding lines tested at the seedling stage, 3SA145 was vimlent to 48, whereas 3SA133 was virulent to 36 entries. A further six entries were heterogeneous in their reaction to 3SA145. In adult plant infection studies of 48 South African spring wheats in a greenhouse, 19 were susceptible (flag leaf IT > 3) and 22 were resistant to 3SA145. Seven entries showed a Z3 flag leaf IT indicating adult plant resistance. According to a simple sequence repeat (SSR) study using 17 primer-pair combinations described by Szabo and Kolmer (3), 3SA145 showed 30% homology with the dominant South African races. Although virulence to Z,ry2 and Lrl3 has been known in different leaf rust races in South Africa, to our knowledge, this is the first report of combined virulence to Lrl2, 13, and 37. The SSR data and unique avirulence/virulence profile...

Characterising resistance at different levels of expression is important in understanding host defence mechanisms and the improvement of durable disease resistance in crop plants. Histological reactions of the lentil cultivars EL-142 (susceptible) and Gudo (resistant) to infection by Uromyces viciae-fabae, were investigated by means of fluorescence and confocal laser microscopy. Components of resistance included the proportion of successful penetrations, early abortion, host cell necrosis and colony size. The percentage of germinated urediniospores that had not penetrated was significantly higher for Gudo than for EL-142. Furthermore, Gudo had a higher percentage of early aborted colonies, frequently associated with host cell necrosis, than the susceptible cultivar. The host cell necrosis index for Gudo was 1.13, indicating an excessive hypersensitive response to lentil rust. At the macroscopic level, rust pustules on Gudo were surrounded by chlorotic and necrotic flecks. Results indicated that the resistance to lentil rust in Gudo is the result of prehaustorial and posthaustorial mechanisms. However, resistance to rust may not be durable because of its hypersensitive nature.