Natural senescence of the root cortex of spring wheat in relation to susceptibility to common root rot (Cochliobolus sativus) and growth of a free-living nitrogen-fixing bacterium

Summary Natural senescence of the root cortex was assessed by nuclear staining, for cultivars and chromosome substitution lines of spring wheat known to differ in (1) susceptibility to common root rot, (2) total rhizosphere populations and (3) ability to support growth of a free-living nitrogen-fixing bacterium.Together, three root rot susceptible wheat lines showed significantly more cortical senescence than did three resistant lines; the susceptible lines also support larger rhizosphere populations. The wheat line that supports growth of a nitrogen-fixing bacterium showed significantly less cortical death than did any other line. Substitution of chromosome pairs 5B or 5D between the parent cultivars Rescue and Cadet substantially altered the amount of root cortex death, which is thus genetically determined. It is suggested thatCochliobolus sativus and other weak parasites benefit from early natural senescence of the root cortex, and that the degree of susceptibility or resistance of wheat lines to common root rot is at least partly determined by differences in cortical senescence.