Meeting the Challenge of Yellow Rust in Cereal Crops - ICARDA

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wheat varieties and hybrid lines planted in multi-locational yield trials in
Almaty Oblast by Agrosemconsult were screened. A number of genotypes (17
of 56) were resistant or infected insignificantly, including new cvs Almaly and
Yegemen developed by FCRPC.
Effective YR resistance genes for winter wheat breeding were identified.
Many genes were found to be highly effective under moderate infection
challenge. Genes YrA, Yr1, Yr6 and YrA proved to have low effectiveness.
Yellow rust in wheat in Azerbaijan
Fargana Alibakhshiyeva
FAO Project
Wheat as a main food crop plays an important role in food security in
Azerbaijan. The area under wheat has increased during recent years. Wheat
yield is below its potential due to several biotic and abiotic factors affecting
growth and development of plants. Among biotic factors, yellow rust and leaf
rust seriously damage wheat in the Caucasian countries, as well as in
Azerbaijan. Yellow rust is a very dangerous disease that significantly reduces
grain yield in both bread and durum wheat. Yellow rust of wheat is
widespread in Azerbaijan under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Severe
epidemics of yellow rust occur when the humidity is conducive. Serious
damage from yellow rust in Azerbaijan has occurred in Calilabad, Gobustan
and Terter regions. In these regions, yellow rust epidemics may reduce wheat
yields by up to 80%. Field observations, monitoring and surveys conducted in
the farmers’ fields since 2007 have demonstrated that in Azerbaijan
development of yellow rust starts in the beginning of March when wheat is in
the booting stage, and the pathogen affects wheat until the flowering stage.
Because of that, the farmers prefer early maturing and yellow rust-resistant
wheat cultivars. Field observations showed that cvs Mirbashir 128, Aran,
Bezostaya and Azametli 95 were resistant to yellow rust. The results of the
surveys and investigations showed that maximum damage in 2007was 60%. In
comparison with 2007, yellow rust in 2008 and 2009 was only 10%. An
increasing tendency for epidemics of yellow rust has been observed in all the
agro-ecological zones of Azerbaijan. While in 2008 humidity was low and
weather conditions in April and May were very dry, in the spring of 2009
humidity was very high, and even resistant varieties have been affected by
yellow rust.