Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

Influence of infection by pathogens on the physiological parameters of Triticum aestivum L.

Tetiana Mukha, Yuliia Suddenko, Vira Kyrylenko, Oleksandr Humeniuk, Nataliia Novytska*

novictska@ukr.net

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Abstract

The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of damage to the main pathogens of winter wheat on its physiological parameters and to determine the sources of resistance of the variety to these pathogens. Breeding work to identify sources of resistance was carried out under the conditions of artificial inoculation with pathogens in field infectious nurseries. In order to identify sources of resistance to major pathogens in the collection nursery, approximately 400 collection samples of winter wheat were tested under artificial infection conditions with Septoria tritici, Puccinia recondita, Fusarium graminearum, Tilletia caries, Cercosporella herpotrichoides and a challenge background of Erysiphe graminis. The results of studies conducted in the autumn tillering phase showed that powdery mildew damage to plants causes a violation of the structural and functional state of cell membranes, accompanied by an increase in the electrical conductivity of tissues. At the level of leaf surface damage of 30-50%, the value of this indicator increased more than twice compared to healthy plants. In the earing phase, powdery mildew damage to the flag leaf caused an increased yield of electrolytes from cells, especially in genotypes with increased susceptibility to the pathogen. A similar pattern was observed for the development of septoria leaf blotch and brown rust. When plants are affected by the pathogen Cercosporella herpotrichoides, there was also a gradual increase in the electrical conductivity of cell membranes with an increase in the degree of development of the disease. A direct relationship was established between the intensity of plant damage and the level of electrical conductivity of cell membranes. The maximum values of electrical conductivity of cell membranes (98.8-100.0%) were recorded in susceptible varieties ‘Donska Napivkarlykova’ (affected by septoria leaf blotch) and ‘Myronivska 10’ (affected by brown rust) in the earing phase with the development of diseases up to 50%, the minimum electrical conductivity (8.4%) was observed in immune plants in the autumn tillering phase with the complete absence of powdery mildew infection. The identified patterns between the degree of plant damage by pathogens and the level of electrical conductivity of tissues can be used in breeding practice for early selection of resistant genotypes

Keywords

winter wheat; Septoria tritici; brown rust; powdery mildew; electrical conductivity of tissues; disease resistance; selection

Suggested citation
Mukha, T., Suddenko, Yu., Kyrylenko, V., Humeniuk, O., & Novytska, N. (2026). Influence of infection by pathogens on the physiological parameters of Triticum aestivum L.. Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 22(4),94-106. https://doi.org/10.31548/dopovidi/4.2026.94
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