Key Points
- While ryecorn (called rye overseas) is regarded as resistant to the root disease take-all, recent work has shown it can result in high levels of take-all inoculum.
- Wheat and barley roots are both infected by take-all, but effects on wheat are usually more serious. Ryecorn is generally resistant to take-all. Triticale, depending on the parentage of the cultivar, ranges from; being almost as susceptible as wheat to as resistant as ryecorn.
- Take-all is caused by the fungusGaeumannomyces graminisvar.tritici(Ggt).
- A recent field trial has confirmed that wheat is more susceptible to take-all than ryecorn, triticale and barley. The triticale cv. `Kortego’ was more resistant than barley (cv. `Quench’) while ryecorn had no visible infection by take-all. The results support the selection of ryecorn, triticale and barley over wheat for growing in fields known to haveGgt.
- Although barley, triticale and ryecorn do not become heavily infected by take-all, levels ofGgtin the soil after these cereals can be high. The large root systems of these species may provide more material for infection andGgtinoculum build-up.
- Growers are keen to keep cropping rotations flexible. This research shows that the risk to take-all in wheat cannot be reduced by using barley, triticale and ryecorn as break crops between wheat crops.