Documentation of wheat diseases of the trans-himalayan Ladakh region of India

Abstract

Ladakh is one of the most elevated inhabited regions of the world found in the cold arid trans-Himalayan region of India bordering with China and Pakistan. Like other such regions of the world, Ladakh is also highly vulnerable to climate change and severe environmental threats reducing crop productivity due to risk of agricultural pest and plant pathogens. This document provides the first thorough status of wheat diseases encountered in the region. This study, completed in 2004 and 2005, revealed that while wheat was grown at the 53 out of the total 95 locations surveyed, barley was grown at all the locations. Wheat diseases were investigated in 265 fields of the various blocks, viz., Leh, Khaltsi, Kharu, Nobra, Nyoma and Durbuk of the Leh district and Kargil and Shargole blocks of Kargil district. Hotspots of the encountered diseases were also identified and marked that can be used as the suitable sites to screen wheat genotypes and to know consequences of climate change on the occurrence of wheat disease in the future. Yellow rust, powdery mildew, foliar blight, loose smut, foot/root rot, ear cockle, molya and tundu /spike blight/yellow ear rot diseases were encountered on wheat. However, yellow rust, ear cockle, tundu, molya and foot/root rot were recognized as the most destructive diseases of wheat. This basic work seems to be unique and has ample value to plant protection personnel, plant breeders, extension workers, farmers and policy makers of this region.