Improving disease resistance of pea - clues from plant-microbe interactions

Summary

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a valuable protein source for food and feed. Pea is able to significantly improve soil fertility and, hence, represents an ecologically important crop in low-input farming systems. Despite their importance, pea cultivation remains below expectations due to low and unstable yields caused by a complex of soil-borne pathogens. The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of resistance mechanisms of pea against soil-borne diseases. To achieve this goal, more than 300 pea lines were evaluated for resistance in pot-experiments and a subset of susceptible and resistant pea genotypes has been identified. In a next step, key pathogens and beneficials in the pea rhizosphere and the role of root exudates in determining the occurrence of these microbes will be investigated. The study will shed light on the complex interactions between pea genotypes and soil microbes, and promote resistance breeding programmes for legumes.