Screening parsnip lines for
resistance to canker
Lauren Chappell, Graham, Teakle, Guy Barker and John Clarkson, Warwick Crop Centre
School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9EF
Background
• Parsnips are a speciality crop in the UK, covering an area of
3100ha with a value of £64M annually.
• A major constraint to production is crop losses associated
with root canker diseases caused by fungal pathogens such
as Itersonilia and Mycocentrospora spp.
• Some resistance to parsnip canker exists but is difficult to
exploit this using traditional breeding methods.
• This project aims to develop genetic marker technologies to
identify and exploit these sources of resistance.
• Rapid resistance screening methods and a better
understanding of canker pathogens is also be investigated.
Itersonilia infected
parsnip leaf
Parsnip Canker
Itersonilia pastinacae
• I. pastinacae is a seed borne pathogen that
produces ballistospores and chlamydospores that
result in both foliar and root symptoms.
• Parsnip seedling and root tests were developed
which have identified a range of resistance to
Itersonilia in different breeding lines produced by
Elsoms .
Future Work
• Parsnip lines will be screened for resistance to
other canker pathogens such as Mycocentrospora.
• Whole Genome Sequencing will be carried out on
Itersonilia isolates as a resource for future work
and understanding of this pathogen, including the
development of a DNA-based diagnostic test.
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Parsnip lesion size (cm2)
• After screening of further lines, genetic markers
will be developed to facilitate the introgression of
resistance into new parsnip cultivars.
Resistant Itersonilia
inoculated parsnip root
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Susceptible Itersonilia
inoculated parsnip root
Resistant
Susceptible
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6
5
4
3
2
1
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Variability in Itersonilia lesion size on parsnip lines
This research is being carried out a part of a BBSRC CASE Award PhD sponsored by Elsoms Seeds
Warwick Crop Centre
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/wcc