Long-term survival of asexual Zymoseptoria tritici spores in the environment

Z. tritici blastospores can survive in water or soil for long periods, potentially spanning the intercrop period for UK winter wheat. They rely on internal lipid stores, with no external nutrition, and although a large proportion of spores do not survive for such an extended period, those that do remain as virulent as spores grown on rich media. Thus, Z. tritici has exceptional survival strategies, which are likely to be important in understanding its population genetics and in developing novel routes for Septoria leaf blotch control.