Diversity in non-specific foliar pathogens of wheat from non-traditional warm areas

In order to characterize the variability of the non-specific foliar pathogens of wheat from warm areas, a world wide collection of strains is established through a collaboration between CIMMYT Mexico and UCL, Belgium. By isolation of leaf samples sent from non-traditional warm area (South Asia, Africa, Latin America) in 1993 and 1994, we confirmed that Bipolaris sorokiniana is the most important foliar pathogens followed by Drechslera tritici-repentis, representing respectively 75 and 17% of the fungi isolated from leaf spots in 1993. This collection is the base for characterisation of the NSFP diversity by pathogenicity tests on host differentials of wheat lines developed at CIMMYT, by an analysis of the spectrum of toxins produced and by studies of genetic diversity with RAPD.