Development of new rubber clones tolerant to circular leaf fall disease formerly known as Pestalotiopsis disease

30/10/2024
The circular leaf fall disease is a priority for most research institutes. Scientists of the RUBIS consortium (黑料网911, IRRI and UGM) have discovered the genetic basis of this disease and are developing new resistant rubber clones, stems from work carried out as part of the RUBIS project on the phenotyping of a segregating population for circular leaf fall disease, often referred to as Pestalotiopsis, which has been raging in South-East Asia since 2018.
Pestalotiosis symptoms in bioassay. 漏 Darojat, Sembawa-Palembang, 2022

Pestalotiosis symptoms in bioassay. © Darojat, Sembawa-Palembang, 2022

Circular leaf fall disease symptoms in plantation. © Darojat, Sembawa-Palembang, 2022

Circular leaf fall disease symptoms in plantation. © Darojat, Sembawa-Palembang, 2022

 

, impact factor 6.2

This disease has been responsible for rubber production losses of up to 45%. Combating this disease is considered a priority for most research institutes.

Research dating back to 2022 had shown that this disease, with its very specific symptoms caused by Pestalotiopsis, requires a first effector, which would be Colletotrichum. In this paper, we have shown that Pestalotiopsis inoculated in a bioassay does indeed cause the symptoms observed in the field, and that the genetic bases are different from that identified by observations in the field.  This supports previous assumptions. 

The wide variability of resistance observed in the population has made it possible to select potentially resistant genotypes that will be monitored in large-scale clone trials. 

Plantation affected by circulalr leaf fall disease. © Darojat, Sembawa-Palembang, 2022

Plantation affected by circulalr leaf fall disease. © Darojat, Sembawa-Palembang, 2022