The present work aims to determine the physiological and sanitary quality of Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) seeds, as well as to identify pathogens associated with seed, their transmission to seedlings and the subsequent pathogenicity of isolates obtained, In addition, molecularly identify the fungal species pathogenic to this crop. The experiments were carried out in the Teaching and Seed Research Laboratory (TSRL), of the Plant Engineering Department; In the Elocy Minussi Phytopathology Laboratory, Department of Plant Protection, and at the Biological Institute of São Paulo. Sweet sorghum seeds were used, all without chemical treatment. Sanitary quality was evaluated by sanity test, and physiological characteristics by germination and vigor tests (seedling length, dry mass, emergence, rate of emergence and accelerated aging). It was performed the test of transmission of the pathogens associated to the seeds and the subsequent pathogenicity of the obtained isolates, culminating with the molecular characterization of the identified pathogens, in which were sequenced the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) genomic regions and the Elongation Factor 1 - alpha (TEF1-α) gene. The design used was the completely randomized design, with four cultivars of Sweet sorghum (BRS 506, F19, BRS 511 and BRS 509); For the evaluation of pathogenicity, the factorial scheme is represented by four cultivars and three isolates of Fusarium spp., besides the witness. The seeds of the BRS 509 cultivar were considered to have lower physiological quality than the other cultivars. The DNA sequencing allowed identifying the Fusarium thapsinum species as a pathogenic agent in the sweet sorghum crop, and proven its transmission via seeds. / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo determinar a qualidade fisiológica e sanitária de sementes de cultivares de sorgo sacarino (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), bem como identificar os patógenos associados à semente, sua transmissão às plântulas e a posterior patogenicidade de isolados obtidos, além disso, identificar molecularmente as espécies fúngicas patogênicas a esta cultura. Os experimentos foram realizados no Laboratório Didático e de Pesquisas em Sementes (LDPS), do Departamento de Fitotecnia; no Laboratório de Fitopatologia Elocy Minussi, do Departamento de Defesa Fitossanitária e, no Instituto Biológico de São Paulo. Foram utilizadas sementes de sorgo sacarino, todas sem tratamento químico. A qualidade sanitária foi avaliada pelo teste de sanidade, e as características fisiológicas por meio dos testes de germinação e de vigor (comprimento de plântulas, massa seca, emergência, índice de velocidade de emergência e envelhecimento acelerado). Foi realizado o teste de transmissão dos patógenos associados à semente e a posterior patogenicidade dos isolados fúngicos obtidos, culminando com a caracterização molecular dos patógenos identificados, na qual foram sequenciadas as regiões genômicas Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) e o gene do fator de elongação 1-α (TEF1α). O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado com quatro cultivares de sorgo sacarino (BRS 506, Fepagro 19, BRS 511 e BRS 509); já para a avaliação da patogenicidade, o esquema fatorial foi representado pelas quatro cultivares e três isolados de Fusarium sp., além da testemunha. As sementes da cultivar BRS 509 foram consideradas de qualidade fisiológica inferior as demais cultivares. O sequenciamento de DNA permitiu identificar a espécie Fusarium thapsinum como agente patogênico na cultura do sorgo sacarino, sendo comprovada sua transmissão via sementes.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agronomy / Tesfaye Tesso / Fusarium stalk rot and charcoal rot caused by Fusarium thapsinum and Macrophomina phaseolina respectively are devastating global diseases in sorghum that lead to severe quality and yield loss each year. In this study, three sets of interrelated experiments were conducted that will potentially lead to the development of resistance based control option to these diseases. The first experiment was aimed at identifying sources of resistance to infection by M. phaseolina and F. thapsinum in a diverse panel of 300 sorghum genotypes. The genotypes were evaluated in three environments following artificial inoculation. Out of a total of 300 genotypes evaluated, 95 genotypes were found to have resistance to M. phaseolina and 77 to F. thapsinum of which 53 genotypes were resistant to both pathogens. In the second experiment, a set of 79,132 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers were used in an association study to identify genomic regions underlying stalk rot resistance using a multi-locus mixed model association mapping approach. We identified 14 loci associated with stalk rot and a set of candidate genes that appear to be involved in connected functions controlling plant defense response to stalk rot resistance. The associated SNPs accounted for 19-30% of phenotypic variation observed within and across environments. An analysis of associated allele frequencies within the major sorghum subpopulations revealed enrichment for resistant alleles in the durra and caudatum subpopulations compared with other subpopulations. The findings suggest a complicated molecular mechanism of resistance to stalk rots. The objective of the third experiment was to determine the functional relationship between stay-green trait, leaf dhurrin and soluble sugar levels and resistance to stalk rot diseases. Fourteen genotypic groups derived from a Tx642 × Tx7000 RIL population carrying combinations of stay-green quantitative trait loci were evaluated under three environments in four replications. The stg QTL had variable effects on stalk rot disease. Genotypes carrying stg1, stg3, stg1,3 and stg1,2,3,4 expressed good levels of resistance to M. phaseolina but the combination of stg1 and stg3 was required to express the same level of resistance to F. thapsinum. Other stg QTL blocks such as stg2 and stg4 did not have any impact on stalk rot resistance caused by both pathogens. There were no significant correlations between leaf dhurrin, soluble sugar concentration, and resistance to any of the pathogens.