Laboratory for Infectious Plant Diseases

Scientific results:

• We have created cartographic materials on the incidence of snow mold on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan and the neighboring regions of the Volga Federal District.
• Our researcher have gathered a collection of fungi causing snow mold and charaterized the genetic and phenotypical variability of fungi causing pink snow mold, Microdochium nivale, at the intraspecific and intrapopulation levels.
• We have conducted a comparative analysis of the microbiomes of various winter grain crops affected by snow mold.
• The Laboratory has conducted a screening of world genetic resources and our own selection and hybrid material of winter grain crops to determine their resistance to snow mold at the natural and  epiphytotic level of development of the disease. We isolated the sources of resistance to snow mold from the gene pool of winder grain crops. We have created a hybrid gene pool that is unparalleled in the world, which  will later serve as the genetic platform for determining the molecular markers of resistance  of winter rye, wheat and triticale to snow mold and other infectious diseases.
• We have developed methods of the synthesis of new compounds based on benzofuroxan derivatives, diarylmethane and dithiophosphate derivatives with functional/fungistatic activity that are promising for use as a means of protection to snow mold. Among the representatives of phyto-associated microflora we have found microorganisms possessing antagonistic activity with respect to fungi that cause snow mold.
• Our researchers have proposed agrotechnical approaches, in particular, the use of mosaics and  mixed varieties to reduce the extent of snow mold development.
• We have coducted an assembly and annotation of the first genome of the fungi that causes snow mold, Microdochium nivale. We have determined the genes of  M. nivale coding the ferments that comprise complete pathways of the biosynthesis of mycotoxins that are dangerous to humans.
• On the basis of the transcriptome profiling of Microdochium nivale and plants infected with this pathogen, as well as of a combination of biochemical tests, we have proposed a hypothesis on the important role of changes in lipid metabolism in the development of pink snow mold.
• We have created regression models  allowing to predict the extent of damage to winter crops by snow mold as well as the level of reduction of the productivity of plants depending on the intensity of the development of the disease.
• Our researchers have formulated  original concepts concerning the receptive response of plants as a fundamental basis of their interaction with phytopathogens. 

Implemented results of research:

• The winter rye variety «Zilant», which is more resistant to infectious diseases, has been implemented into agricultural production (in 2022. the acreage exceeded 4,5 thousand hectares).
• The bank of sources of resistance to snow mold and other infectious diseases typical in central Russia is used in selection practice.
• The field infected plant nursery created on the basis of the isolated strains of funghi causing snow mold is used in selection programs for all winter crops for  testing selection materials for resistivity to snow mold. 

Education and career development:

• We have created education programs: «Molecular mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions» (2021), «Genetic resources for selection» (2020 ).

• In 2020-2022, 5 employees of the Laboratory completed additional training at KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA (Germany), the All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection (Russia).
• Two Doctor of Science dissertations and three Candidate of Sceince dissertations have been prepared and defended. 

Collaborations:

• KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA (Germany): internships of employees.

• University of Hohenheim (Germany): completing works within a Russian-German grant financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research with the topic: «Genome-oriented selection of winter rye for the reduction of damage from snow mold and Fusarium toxins».