Evaluation of Triticum aestivum L. germplasm against Puccinia striiformis and its management through botanicals

Wheat is the staple food of Pakistan and country facing wheat shortage during recent years leading to food security issue. Rust diseases of wheat are significantly important causing major dent in wheat production during last season’s due to drastic climate change. Therefore, wheat germplasm was screened against wheat stripe rust during two consecutive years. Out of one hundred and five genotypes not even one showed immune response during 2018-19, 22 genotypes showed highly resistant response, 19 showed resistance response, 42 showed moderately resistance response and remaining genotypes showed susceptible response except five lines (CB-10, CB-65, CB-95, CB-84 and CB-31) that showed heterogeneous characters. Likewise, during 2019-20, 18 genotypes showed highly resistant response, 23 showed resistant response, 39 were moderately resistance and remaining genotypes showed susceptible response except four lines (CB-10, CB-65, CB-95 and CB-84) that showed heterogeneous response. For each year value of area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) of all genotypes was also calculated which falls between 100-850. Efficacy of four plant extracts (neem, garlic, ginger and bell pepper) using seed soaking method in controlling the stripe rust disease of wheat was investigated in pots experiment. During both years, minimum disease was observed in case of garlic bulb extract followed by neem leaves extract. Ginger bulb and Bell pepper fruit extract also had significant effect against wheat stripe rust. From the current study it could be suggested that using highly resistant germplasm advance lines may be developed that exhibit the resistant genes against stripe rust pathogen and it is observed that instead if using fungicides, use of botanicals not only reduced the human health hazard but also control the disease effectively.