Resistance of variety samples from collection nursery of winter bread wheat against Fusarium head blight and group of diseases

Abstract

Purpose. To analyze variety samples from winter wheat collection nursery for resistance to Fusarium head blight and group of pathogens and to identify sources of resistance. Methods. The experiments were conducted at the Myronivka Institute of Wheat under conditions of artificial infection with pathogens in field infectious nurseries. Common techniques have been used to create artificial infectious backgrounds and to assess damage level of winter bread wheat plants with the pathogens. Results. During 2016-2019, were assessed 170 collection samples of winter wheat of different ecological and geographical origin were assessed among which effective sources of resistance against causal agents of the main diseases (Fusarium head blight, common bunt, root rot, powdery mildew, Septoria leaf blotch, brown rust) have been identified. Depending on weather conditions, the disease progress varied through the years with the most level in optimal 2018 and the least in drought 2017. On artificial infectious backgrounds of the pathogens among the samples assessed there were identified 13 ones being highly resistant against the causative agent of Fusarium head blight and two samples of them were immune (i.e. no damage) against common bunt during the years of the research. The damage of the collection samples with pathogen Fusarium graminearum was from 1.0 % to 3.2 %, whereas the susceptible variety Natula was damaged up to 18.0 %. The rest of these winter wheat samples were resistant to two, three, four, and five diseases in various combinations. The variety samples Ray, Rada, Warwik SRW were distinguished by their resistance to five diseases (Fusarium head blight, common bunt, root rot, powdery mildew, and brown rust); the variety samples Famulus, Zlatina 2, Catalus were resistant to four diseases (Fusarium head blight, common bunt, root rot, powdery mildew) as well as the variety sample ТХ9801170 / Doskonala was resistant to four diseases (Fusarium head blight, common bunt, root rot, brown rust). Resistance to three diseases was detected in the varieties Fermerka (Fusarium head blight, root rot, brown rust), MV-VERBUNKOS (Fusarium head blight, common bunt, root rot), and Dromos (Fusarium head blight, root rot, powdery mildew). Conclusions. The sources of group resistance to Fusarium head blight five major pathogens in various combinations have been identified and they are recommended for use in wheat breeding for immunity.