Evaluation of Wheat Genotypes for Yellow Rust Resistance in Field Condition of Foot Hill of Nepal

Stripe rust (Yellow rust), is one of the important foliar disease of wheat caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. Tritici in Nepal limiting the production of wheat. Previously this disease is considered as disease of cooler places but virulent strains of yellow rust are also adapted to higher temperature posing threat to wheat cultivated all around Nepal. Development of resistance genotypes is the most effective means of managing disease, especially in developing countries. For assessment of yellow rust severity an experiment was done at Kamalamai-04, Phant, of Sindhuli district, Nepal in farmers field during November 2017 to April 2018. Thirty promising wheat genotypes including two resistant WK 1204 and Dhaulagiri and two susceptible Morocco and RR 21 checks were experimented in Alpha lattice design with 3 replications. Data of field response of genotypes to yellow rust, maximum severity and AUDPC were calculated. Sixteen genotypes including Morocco and RR 21 showed susceptible (S) response while 5 genotypes showed moderately susceptible (MS) and 2 genotypes showed moderately resistant to moderately susceptible (MR-MS) field response to yellow rust. Genotypes WK 2832, NL 1340, NL 1342, NL 1338, BL 4837 and WK 1204 showed moderately resistant (MR) and NL 1336 resistant (R) response. Highest disease severity (89.88%), and mean AUDPC (289.72) was found in Morocco and least severity (1.50%), and mean AUDPC (2.33) in NL 1336. Regression analysis showed 67 % variation in thousand kernel weight and 73% variation in grain yield is due to yellow rust.