Analysis of Bacterial Leaf Streak Epidemics on Winter Wheat in Louisiana

Studies were conducted to characterize spatial and temporal progress of bacterial leaf streak disease (Xanthomonas translucens pv. translucens) on susceptible (Florida 304) and moderately resistant (Terral 101) winter wheat cultivars. Epidemics were initiated with rifampicin-resistant strain 88-14^rif of X. translucens pv. translucens by establishing point sources of inoculum in plot centers. Incidence of bacterial leaf streak was assessed five times in 1995 and three times in 1996, starting from the first observation of leaf streak symptoms. Rainfall, temperature, and wind speed were significantly related to disease incidence, but relative humidity was not. The Gompertz model gave the best statistical fit for the progression of disease incidence over time. Average rates of disease progress (k) obtained from the regression of bacterial leaf streak incidence against time provided a good method of comparing the cultivars Florida 304 and Terral 101 and were consistent across locations. Bacterial leaf streak disease gradients were best described by the negative exponential model. Bacterial leaf streak incidence decreased with distance from inoculum source for both cultivars. Disease incidence on Terral 101 was near 0% at 2 m from the source, and disease incidence close to the source was consistently lower on Terral 101 than on Florida 304 at all growth stages sampled. This was not unexpected because the two cultivars differed in susceptibility. Disease incidence data were more useful than severity data in providing a good estimate of disease spread away from the source.