Genetic diversity for seedling and adult plant resistance to stripe and leaf rust in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Wheat crop is attacked by three rust diseases of which stripe (yellow) rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina, are the most common causing greater yield losses. In the present study, thirty genotypes were studied for resistance to stripe and leaf rust under field and controlled conditions. Seedling reaction of thirty genotypes and the susceptible check Agra local selected for genetic studies against two yellow (46S119, 78S84) and leaf rust (77-5, 104-2)pathotypes were recorded. HPW 373, VW 20145, VL 3002, RKVY 231 and VL 907 were found to be highly resistant to yellow rust at both seedling and adult plant stages. Other genotypes PBW 698, HS 507, HS 490, HPW 314, HPW 360, RKVY 133, Raj 4362, DBW 113 and HPW 403 were moderately resistant.Inheritance studies were carried out to study the genetics of seedling rust resistance in elite germplasm line HPW 373. The F₂s were evaluated for seedling resistance against yellow rust (46S119, 78S84) and leaf rust (77-5) pathotypes. Resistance in HPW 373 is controlled by a single dominant gene against leaf rust (77-5) and stripe rust (78S84). Against stripe rust (46S119), resistance of HPW 373 is controlled by single recessive gene. The present findings will contributetoward enriching diversity for leaf rust and stripe resistance and use in bread wheat improvement programme.