GENE ACTION FOR KARNAL BUNT RESISTANCE IN WHEAT

Abstract

Kamal bunt of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) caused by Neovossia indica (Mitra) Mundkur is now a serious disease in India, Pakistan and Mexico. It results in appreciable yield losses and deterioration of grain and flour quality. The development ofboot inoculation technique [1] has made it possible to screen wheat genotypes resistant to Kamal bunt under artificial inoculation. The genetics of Kamal bunt resistance, however, is not well understood. Gill et al. [2] using nulli-tetrasomics and ditelosomics of T. aestivum cv. Chinese Spring reported that there are many minor and major genes causing resistance/susceptibility to Kamal bunt distributed among all the homoeologous groups. The present study is another attempt to determine the nature of gene action for Kamal bunt resistance in a set of diallel crosses of wheat involving resistant, moderately resistant, and susceptible cultivars. This will help in planning breeding procedures for breeding Kamal bunt resistant varieties of wheat.