Cultivating Resilience: Disease Resistance Screening of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) Genotypes in India's Semi-tropical Belt

Abstract

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) is a major pseudo cereal, the comprehensive exploration of buckwheat genotypes in the semi-tropical climatic region of India, reveals significant genetic variability among the genotypes for a range of biometrical features, underlining the potential for genetic improvement in this crop. Notably, traits such as days to maturity, and economic yield demonstrate substantial genetic potential for enhancement through targeted breeding programs, exhibiting relatively high genetic advancement values, indicating their potential for effective improvement through breeding programs. Disease resistance, as assessed by the percentage disease index (PDI) of chlorotic leaf spot and brown leaf spot, also reveals noteworthy scope for improvement, crucial for sustaining buckwheat cultivation in disease-prone regions. A correlation analysis uncovers intricate relationships between agronomic traits and disease parameters, with the observed positive correlation between plant height (PH) and economic yield (EY) suggesting that taller buckwheat plants may have a slight advantage in terms of yield, and the negative correlation between test weight (TW) and disease severity, both for chlorotic leaf spot (PDI CL) and brown leaf spot (PDI BL), underscores the potential for selecting genotypes with higher test weights as a means to enhance disease resistance. Identification of genotypes with low disease susceptibility offers promising avenues for disease-resistant buckwheat cultivation. Understanding the genetic parameters and disease dynamics presented in this study would be proved invaluable in developing resilient buckwheat varieties, ensuring food security, and promoting sustainable agriculture in the region opening doors to effective disease management strategies and improved crop productivity in buckwheat cultivation.