An Update in Disease: A Comprehensive Analysis on Field and Greenhouse spp. Infection.

L. is a genus of the Poaceae family, with many species serving as well-adapted forage plants in subtropical climates and continuous grazing systems. However, , an ascomycete of the order Hypocreales, represents a major threat to the species. This fungus induces ergot disease, characterized by the replacement of infected flower seeds with sclerotia, which adversely affects seed production and animal health through mycotoxin production. Although ergot disease is reported in many countries, no totally resistant cultivars have been reported for commercial use. This study comparatively evaluated disease development in six species under greenhouse conditions with three specific isolates of , along with field trials. In addition, field isolates of were analyzed for phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic relationships. Greenhouse evaluation revealed variable susceptibility among species, with , , and being the most resistant. In field trials showed the highest severity index, and and were less affected. The phenotypic characterization of 22 isolates showed variability in pigmentation and growth rates, with potato dextrose agar being the culture medium in which the highest growth rate was observed. Phylogenetic analysis of the isolates identified two well-supported lineages between species. This research reports an ergot resistance gradient among species, identifying genuine sources of resistance. In addition, virulent isolates of potentially useful for rapid screening of accessions or crosses in breeding programs were identified.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.