Publications by authors named "Sean L Bithell"

Article Synopsis
  • Hemibiotrophic pathogens are crucial in agriculture as they cause significant damage to plants during their unique infection process, transitioning from a biotrophic to a necrotrophic phase, with unclear mechanisms involved in this shift.
  • Researchers sequenced the genome of a specific oomycete responsible for root rot in chickpeas and analyzed its behavior during different infection stages to uncover small secreted proteins that may control the biotrophic to necrotrophic switch.
  • Findings revealed that despite having a smaller number of certain effector proteins, many proteins were actively regulated during infection, providing insights into factors influencing the timing of the BNS phase and advancing our understanding of plant-pathogen interactions in quantitatively resistant crops.
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Phytophthora root rot (PRR) of chickpea () caused by is an important disease. Partial resistance to PRR is sourced from . In this study, we evaluated if lines with low levels of PRR foliage symptoms in two contrasting recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations parented by chickpea cultivars (Yorker and Rupali) and 04067-81-2-1-1 (, interspecific breeding line) had a significant drag on yield parameters.

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Phytophthora root rot (PRR) is a major constraint to chickpea production in Australia. Management options for controlling the disease are limited to crop rotation and avoiding high risk paddocks for planting. Current Australian cultivars have partial PRR resistance, and new sources of resistance are needed to breed cultivars with improved resistance.

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root rot caused by is an important disease of chickpeas () in Australia with limited management options, increasing reliance on breeding for improved levels of genetic resistance. Resistance based on chickpea- crosses is partial with a quantitative genetic basis provided by and some disease tolerance traits originating from germplasm. Partial resistance is hypothesised to reduce pathogen proliferation, while tolerant germplasm may contribute some fitness traits, such as an ability to maintain yield despite pathogen proliferation.

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Hemibiotrophic pathogens cause significant losses within agriculture, threatening the sustainability of food systems globally. These microbes colonise plant tissues in three phases: a biotrophic phase followed by a biotrophic-to-necrotrophic switch phase and ending with necrotrophy. Each of these phases is characterized by both common and discrete host transcriptional responses.

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Background: The ability of chickpea to obtain sufficient nitrogen via its symbiotic relationship with Mesorhizobium ciceri is of critical importance in supporting growth and grain production. A number of factors can affect this symbiotic relationship including abiotic conditions, plant genotype, and disruptions to host signalling/perception networks. In order to support improved nodule formation in chickpea, we investigated how plant genotype and soil nutrient availability affect chickpea nodule formation and nitrogen fixation.

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Breeding disease-resistant varieties is one of the most effective and economical means to combat soilborne diseases in pulse crops. Commonalities between pathogenic and mutualistic microbe colonization strategies, however, raises the concern that reduced susceptibility to pathogens may simultaneously reduce colonization by beneficial microbes. We investigate here the degree of overlap in the transcriptional response of the Phytophthora medicaginis susceptible chickpea variety 'Sonali' to the early colonization stages of either Phytophthora, rhizobial bacteria or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

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Understanding the root distribution of trees by soil coring is time -: consuming as it requires the separation of roots from soil and classification of roots into particular size classes. This labour-intensive process can limit sample throughput and therefore sampling intensity. We investigated the use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on soil DNA extractions to determine live fine root DNA density (RDD, mg DNA m(-2)) for mango (Mangifera indica) trees.

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The lack of accurate detection of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici inoculum in soil has hampered efforts to predict the risk of severe take-all for wheat growers. The current study used a molecular method to quantify soil G.

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