Enhancing STB Resistance in Australian Wheat Breeding through Multi-Stage Resistance loci
Zymoseptoria tritici, commonly known as Septoria tritici blotch (STB), poses a significant threat to wheat production in Australia. Over the past decade, our research has suggested the presence of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) that provide resistance to the development of disease at multiple growth stages in plants. Multi-stage resistance (MSR) can be considered different and distinct from Adult Plant Resistance (APR), as the resistance is continuously expressed through progressive crop development stages from seedlings to grain-filling. MSR loci that can provide resistance, such as seedling-stage resistance that reduces early levels of infection, as well as APR-type resistance that protects green leaf area at later growth stages, should be attractive breeding targets for cultivar development. Evidence on QTLs/genes involved in MSR will be presented. Additionally, the current status and progress on STB resistance breeding in Australia will be discussed.