Indian Society of Genetics & Plant Breeding
In India, three species of wheat viz., bread wheat
(Triticum aestivum L.), macaroni wheat (Triticum durum
Desf.) and emmer or dicoccum wheat (Triticum dicoccum
(Schrank.) Schulb.) are cultivated. Scientific studies
related to dicoccum wheat revealed that they are
nutritionally superior as compared to commercially
available bread and durum wheat with high protein and
dietary fiber contents. Dicoccum based products have
high satiety value, low digestibility, low glycemic value
and has been considered as a therapeutic food in the
management of diabetes [1]. Emmer wheat is endowed
with natural resistance to brown and black rusts but
highly susceptible to spot blotch caused by Bipolaris
sorokiniana Shoem. (Cochliobolus sativus Drechs. ex
Dastur), which is recently a major concern in Mega
Environment 5 (ME 5) characterized by a warm humid
climate [2]. The spot blotch disease is recently gaining
much importance in Karnataka State of India because
of occurrence of severe outbreak every year [3]. The
average yield loss caused by leaf blight (spot blotch,
tan spot and Alternaria blight) in South Asia is around
20% but yield losses between 20% and 80% have been
reported [4]. Under severe conditions, the yield losses
may be as high as 100% [5]. Dormant conidia of B.
sorokiniana respond poorly to fungicides and hence,
seed treatment is not very effective in eliminating the
pathogen which necessitates the identification of
resistant genotypes as the most viable strategy. The
resistance to spot blotch in emmer wheat is not well
documented and is non-free threshable due to fragile
rachis. Hence, a set of dicoccum lines were crossed to
produce 18 F1s which were subjected to mutagenesis
to isolate free threshable dicoccum lines with resistance
to spot blotch and isolated 55 free threshing dicoccum
mutants [6].
Keywords: N/A
Year: 2010
Volume: 70
Issue: 3
Article DOI: N/A
Print ISSN: 0019-5200
Online ISSN: 0975-6906
R. M. Marigoudra, S. A. Desai,I. K. Kalappanavar and R. R. Hanchinal info_circle
H. C. Lohithaswa info_circle
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