Natural variation in resistance against parasitic plants
Informations
- Funding country
Netherlands- Acronym
- -
- URL
- -
- Start date
- 9/1/2010
- End date
- 8/31/2014
- Budget
- 95,000 EUR
Fundings
| Name | Role | Start | End | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perspectief Learning from Nature to protect Crops 2009 STW | Grant | 9/1/2010 | 8/31/2014 | 95,000 EUR |
Abstract
Root parasitic plants of the Orobanche genus (broomrapes) are among the most damaging agricultural weeds in the world. They do not have chlorophyll nor functional roots and completely rely on their host for the acquisition of assimilates, nutrients and water. They parasitise important agricultural crops around the globe such as legumes, crucifers, sunflower, hemp, tobacco and tomato (Press et al., 2001) and the production of, for example, tomato is highly susceptible to infestation by Orobanche ramosa and Orobanche aegyptiaca that may cause severe yield losses up to 75% (Radi et al., 2006). Breeding for parasitic plant resistance has been only marginally successful, also because selection was usually done for field resistance without establishing the resistance mechanism involved. However, there is ample evidence in the literature that resistance can depend on several different mechanisms, such as the induction of low germination, the presence of growth inhibiting metabolites in the exudate, the inability of the parasite to make a haustorium and the HR response of the host (Labrousse et al., 2001). In this project we will explore and exploit the natural variation in resistance and resistance mechanisms against the important parasitic weed Orobanche ramosa (branched broomrape) in Arabidopsis and tomato. Hereto, we will screen the HapMap Arabidopsis population that consists of 360 ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, covering over 80% of the genotypic variation present within the species, and two tomato populations developed by Enza Zaden for a number of different resistance mechanisms (germination, haustorium formation, compatibility and allelopathy). QTLs for these resistances will subsequently be mapped in both species. Gene candidates responsible for the resistance will be identified in both species through several different approaches and characterised by looking for allelic variants of these candidates (TILLING, SNP detection) and creating overexpression and KO lines and studying the consequences of these interventions for the resistance mechanisms.