Bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by xanthomonas translucens PV

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded North Dakota State University $584,620 under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) on May 1, 2026, to investigate bacterial leaf streak disease in wheat caused by Xanthomonas translucens pv. undolosa, which causes up to 60% yield losses in susceptible spring wheat cultivars in the Upper Great Plains.

The recipient will employ conventional, molecular, and genomic methods to determine pathogen transmission rates from seed to subsequent generations and the infection pathway from seed to seedling and from leaf to new seed; assess genome similarity of bacterial pathogens from wheat and adjacent grass plants and the role of weedy grasses in disease initiation and pathogen survival; determine survival rates and duration of the bacterial pathogen in plant residues and soil; and disseminate findings to wheat producers through extension efforts. Work is performed at North Dakota State University in North River, North Dakota, with a period of performance from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029. The research directly addresses the absence of current tactics and tools to manage bacterial leaf streak disease, which the source attributes largely to poor understanding of pathogen biology and disease epidemiology. The award is classified as a Project Grant.

Undolusa, has become a major disease of wheat in the upper great plains of the united states where the majority of US spring wheat and durum wheat is grown. The disease can cause up to 60% yield losses in highly susceptible spring wheat cultivars. Currently, no tactics and tools are available to manage the disease largely due to the poor understanding of pathogen biology and disease epidemiology for this disease system. Several sources of primary inoculum have been suggested for disease occurrence in field including seeds, weedy grasses, plant residues and soil. However, the importance of each source in disease epidemiology remains unknown. In this proposal, we will employ conventional, molecular and genomic methods to investigate the possible role of each source of inoculum in disease initiation. The specific objectives are to 1) determine the transmission rate of the pathogen from seed to the next generation and the pathway of the pathogen from seed to seedling and from leaf to new seed; 2) assess the genome similarity of the bacterial pathogens from wheat and adjacent grass plants and determine the role of weedy grass in disease initiation and pathogen survival; 3) determine the survival rate and time of the bacterial pathogen in the plant residues and soil; 4) disseminate information to the wheat producers through extension efforts. The proposed work will allow US to gain key knowledge in wheat BLS disease epidemiology, and ultimately contribute to the development of IPM tactics and tools for disease management.