Yield Loss Assessment in Bread Wheat Varieties Caused by Yellow Rust (<i>Puccinia striiformis</i> f. sp. <i>tritici</i>) in Arsi Highlands of South Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Wheat yellow rust disease caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici is one of the most feared and wheat production bottlenecks in the highland areas of Ethiopia. Field experiment was conducted to assess wheat yield losses caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici based at optimal frequency of fungicide with wheat varieties for the control of stripe rust at hotspot environments of Meraro and Bekoji, experimental stations in Arsi zone in 2017 main cropping season. Results revealed that there was direct linkage between the disease level and the yield loss in the most common commercially adopted bread wheat varieties. There was varying resistance level among different wheat varieties. The extensively cultivated wheat variety, Wane was found to be most resistant with minimum yield loss of 22.9 to 39.7% followed by Lemu and Danda'a with yield loss of 48.7to 56.5% and43.3 to 57.5% at Bekoji and Meraro respectively. While Kubsa, proved to be the most susceptible wheat variety with maximum yield loss of 91.5 to 96.7% at Bekoji and Meraro respectively. Therefore, it is advisable to use resistant varieties with appropriate fungicides with optimal frequency in order to reduce yield loss and get comparable yield advantage by reducing the incurring of wheat stripe rust in wheat farms.

Genetic architecture of adult-plant resistance to stripe rust in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) association panel

“…Yellow rust is the most widespread disease in the highlands of Ethiopian as a result of which 36% to 100% wheat yield loss has been reported (Badebo and Bayu, 1992;Hailu and Fininsa, 2009;Ayele and Muche, 2019). In the highlands and mid-altitude regions of Ethiopia, yellow rust was to blame for the collapse of the dominant wheat varieties, including Laketch in 1977, Dashen (a well-liked high-yielding variety with the Yr9 gene) in 1988and 1994, Wabe in 1998(Badebo and Bayu, 1992, and Galema and Kubsa in 2010 (Tadesse et al (2018).…”

Evaluation of Stripe Rust (<i>Puccinia Striformis</i> f. sp. <i>Tritici</i>) Resistance in Bread Wheat (<i>Triticum</i> <i>aestivum</i> L.) Genotypes in Ethiopia

“…Epidemics of the disease can rapidly destroy leaf tissue and significantly reduce grain yield and quality. In most wheat-producing areas, yield losses caused by stripe rust range from 2.7 to 96.7% depending on the degree of susceptibility of the cultivar, timing of the initial infection, rate of disease development, areas of hotspot and duration of disease [2]. Currently, 80 yellow rust resistance (Yr) genes have been permanently named in wheat, including the recently mapped Yr79 [3] and Yr80 [4].…”