A new technique to develop artificial epiphytotics of foliar blight in wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract

Current Indian wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) cultivars are in general,highly susceptibleto foliar blight because their parental/early generations were overestimated for resistance under inadequatedisease epiphytotics created artificially in the open field conditons. Present fundings implied that the artificialepiphytotics of foliar blight developed with higher intensity inside the polythene house than in the open field.Higher disease pressure was established inside the po1ythene house because the congenial temperature of 27°Cand moisture level of 90% relative humidity could be maintained with the help ofan automatic control device.But natural spells of cool and dry weather in the open field hindered the process of disease build up. Method ofblight inoculation could be simplified by merely broadcasting sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] seedgranules overlaid with sporulating mycelium of bl:ght pathogens in the test material. This method could avoidlot of physical labour involved in conventional method based on spreading the old infected plant material afterchopping or spraying spore suspension in the screening block.