Evaluation of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Germplasm for Wheat Rust Diseases Resistance and Yield Performance

Abstract

The experiment was conducted from July to December, 2023 at Melkasa Agricultural Research Center (MARC) and Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center (KARC) to evaluate the performance of introduced bread wheat materials from CIMMYT against wheat rust diseases and yield. A total of fifty advanced lines were brought from CIMMYT. The trial was planted in an alpha-lattice design with two replications. Data were collected for stem rust, yellow rust, and some agronomic traits, including grain yield. The ANOVA showed highly significant genotypic variation (p<0.05) in days to heading (DTH), Hectoliter weight (HLW), Thousand Kernel Weight (TKW), and Yield (YLD). Then, results from LSD revealed that genotypes: EBW222102 YLD=7.7 t ha-1, EBW222106 YLD=7.61 t ha-1, EBW222108 YLD=7.66 t ha-1, EBW222136 YLD=7.76 t ha-1 significantly higher than the check variety Daka at (p<0.05). Eighteen genotypes were susceptible to stem rust disease, with a coefficient of infection (YRCI) >30 at Melkasa. Genotypes: EBW222111, EBW222126, EBW222129, EBW222134, and EBW222142 delivered high yield, greater than or equal to 2 t ha-1 at Melkasa. These genotypes therefore represent promising candidates for the development of widely adapted, high-yielding, and disease-resistant wheat varieties. Accordingly, their advancement to the next stage of the breeding pipeline is strongly recommended.