Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

E J. ZELLER, F. G. FELSENSTEIN, J. LUTZ, A. HOLZERLAND, M. KATZHAMMER, A. KELLERMANN, J. KÜNZLER, U. STEPHAN and K. OPPITZ:

Studies on the resistance of several spelt wheat (Triticum aestivum (L.) Thell. f. sp. spelta (L.) Thell.) cultivars against wheat powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis f. sp. tritici) and leaf rust of wheat (Puccinia recondita f. sp, tritici)

Summary

In the present study 20 European spelt wheat cultivars were inoculated with 12 different powdery mildew isolates and 24 spelt wheat cultivars with 43 leaf rust isolates. The selected isolates approximately cover the virulence spectrum in Western Europe. All tests were carried out on segments of primary leaves placed on water-agar with benzimidazole. Using macroscopic hast reaction, the infection of disease was assessed in seedling stage. Concerning powdery mildew only cultivar "Bauländer Spelz" revealed a qualitative resistance. The response of all other cultivars was either intermediate or susceptible. With regard to leaf rust a broad spectrum of resistance was observed. However, no complete resistance response was found. Five cultivars revealed a clear resistance reaction to most of the leaf rust isolates. Twelve cultivars were characterized by a resistance response to a group of four isolates. Six cultivars only showed sparsely resistance reaction after inoculation. Key-words: spelt wheat cultivars, powdery mildew resistance, Erysiphe graminis f. sp. tritici, leaf rust resistance, Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici.