Screening of bread wheat exotic germplasm for Puccinia triticina resistance with Area Under Disease Progress Curve analysis

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a key grain crop consumed by over 2.5 billion people worldwide. However, multiple diseases have an impact on productivity. Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks.) is the most important disease of wheat that causes yield loss. The repeated breakdown of leaf rust resistance genes (Lr9, Lr18, and Lr28) led to the research of adult plant resistance and slow rust resistance genes, which are thought to be more long lasting. Host resistance is the most cost-effective method of controlling wheat leaf and stripe rust. In the current study, 164 exotic bread wheat germplasm were evaluated for disease resistance against stripe and leaf rust under epiphytotic circumstances, and disease severity was assessed using the Area Under Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC). All fourteen accessions that were resistant to leaf rust in the field also had reduced AUDPC values. As a result, cultivars with lower AUDPC levels were suitable for practical applications. The current study gave resistant wheat lines to breeders for use in their leaf rust breeding programs.