Meeting the Challenge of Yellow Rust in Cereal Crops - ICARDA

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the maintenance of genetic variability and hence reduce the impact of biotic
and abiotic stresses. Significant differences for resistance to yellow rust were
observed among and between Aegilops and Triticum species. The evidence is
that adequate levels of resistance could be obtained with a few additive genes
each of small to moderate effect. Modern plant breeding methodologies,
including marker-assisted selection, are useful in the exploitation and
utilization of these genes in wheat improvement. In this paper, we describe the
role of genes from Aegilops and Triticum species for improved wheat
production in relation to disease resistance and yield potential.
Agronomic performance of yellow rust-resistant winter
wheat germplasm in Central and West Asia
A. Morgounov, 1 B. Akın, 1 L. Cetin, 2 Y. Kaya, 3 M. Keser, 4 Z. Mert 2 and R.C. Sharma 5
1. CIMMYT, Ankara, Turkey; 2. Central Field Crop Research Institute, Yenimahalle,
Ankara, Turkey; 3. Bahri Dagdas International Agricultural Research Institute,
Konya, Turkey; 4. ICARDA, Ankara, Turkey; 5. ICARDA, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The International Winter Wheat Improvement Programme (IWWIP)
(www.iwwip.org) is a joint project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Affairs of Turkey, CIMMYT and ICARDA. The programme, established more
than 20 years ago, aims to develop winter wheat germplasm, suitable for
Central and West Asia, with broad adaptation and resistance to prevailing
biotic stresses. IWWIP also plays a key role in facilitating global germplasm
exchange among winter wheat breeding programmes. The germplasm
developed by IWWIP, as well as the material received from co-operators, is
distributed to more than 130 collaborators in 50 countries through the
Facultative and Winter Wheat Observation Nursery (FAWWON) and the
International Winter Wheat Yield Trial (IWWYT). By 2009, 40 cultivars
originating from IWWIP germplasm had been released in 12 countries of the
region, sown on an estimated of 1.5 million hectare. Breeding for resistance to
yellow rust is a high priority for IWWIP since the pathogen represents a major
biotic threat in the region. The breeding methodology is based on crosses of
broadly adapted parents with resistance to yellow rust. The segregating
populations in F 2-F 5 are subjected to rust screening under both natural and
artificial inoculation at several hot-spots in Turkey. The Preliminary Yield Trial
lines, originating from F 6 Head Rows, are planted at several locations in
Turkey and Syria for evaluation of agronomic performance and disease
resistance, including to yellow rust. The key sites for yellow rust evaluation
and screening are Haymana near Ankara, where consistently high levels of