EFFECT OF YELLOW RUST PUCCINIA STRIIFORMIS ON YIELD OF SUSCEPTIBLE WHEAT GENOTYPES
Abstract
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in Pakistan is significantly threatened by yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. Tritici), which leads to considerable yield reductions under conducive environmental conditions. A field experiment was conducted during 2024-2025 at the Cereal Crops Research Institute Pirsabak, Nowshera to quantify yield losses and evaluate the effectiveness of fungicide application across twelve bread wheat genotypes with varying resistance levels. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications under treated and untreated conditions. Highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences were observed among genotypes for disease severity and all yield-related traits. The coefficient of infection ranged from 0.0 in resistant lines i.e. Yr-57 and Yr-5+15 to 55.5 in susceptible genotype Inqalab-91 (untreated). Grain yield varied from 1,353 kg ha⁻¹ in untreated Inqalab-91 to 4,306.7 kg ha⁻¹ in treated Yr-57. Thousand grain weight ranged from 29.42 g (untreated Seher-06) to 49.42 g (treated Zarlashta-99). Fungicide application resulted in grain yield increase ranged from 0.38% (Yr-5+15) to 14.33% (Imdad-05), while thousand grain weight increased by up to 36.83% (Seher-06). Biological yield increase ranged from 1.21% to 16.24% across genotypes. Resistant lines maintained low infection levels (0–7.5 CI) and exhibited minimal yield reduction under disease pressure. Fungicide application at proper time could minimize yield losses even in conducive environment. Moreover, regarding yellow rust disease resistance the best genotype was wheat line YR-57 and the most susceptible was Inqalab-91.
Keywords
- wheat susceptible, genotypes yellow rust, disease management, and production.
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