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Association of Avenanthramide Concentration in Oat (Avena sativa L.) Grain with Crown Rust Incidence and Genetic Resistance

¹USDA-ARS Cereal Crops Research, 502 Walnut St., Madison, WI 53726. Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of a name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable. ²Corresponding author. Phone 608-262-9242. Fax: 608-890-0302. E-mail: mlwise@wisc.edu ³USDA-ARS Wheat Quality Laboratory, Harris Hall, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105. ⁴Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105.

Avenanthramides (avn) are antioxidant compounds found in oat tissues, including the grain, that are of interest from a nutritional standpoint. In this study, we have measured avenanthramide concentration in the grain of 18 oat genotypes grown in six environments. These genotypes varied widely in crown rust (Puccinia coronata) resistance. Crown rust infected two of the six environments studied. The grain avenanthramide concentrations in the crown rust environments were significantly higher than those in the uninfected environments. Avenanthramide concentrations in the crown rust infected environments was also significantly correlated with their genetic crown rust resistance, as evaluated in the field. These results suggest that avenanthramide accumulation in the grain is associated with crown rust infection and that, in most of the cultivars evaluated, the extent of their accumulation also correlated with their genetic disease resistance; avenanthramide accumulation in the grain was, with noted exceptions, highest in those cultivars showing the greatest genetic resistant to crown rust.