Varieties Reaction for Wheat Rust Diseases in Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Wheat is an important cereal crop in Ethiopia that is widely cultivated in a wide range of altitude. It ranks fourth in area coverage and total production after teff, maize and sorghum. Hadiya Zone is one of the major wheat producing areas in Ethiopia and it is recognized as one of the wheat belts in the country. But wheat production is threatened by abiotic and biotic constraints. Among the biotic, wheat rust (stem rust, yellow rust and stripe rust) is one of the major limitations of wheat production. Even though, Hadiya zone is known in wheat production, there is no detailed information regarding the distribution, incidence and severity of wheat rust. Therefore, this study was conducted with the following objective: to assess the reaction of varieties against wheat rust. The survey was conducted in 2017main cropping season from mid September to mid October in three districts of Hadiya zone (Misha, Lemo and Duna). A total of 72 fields were surveyed at every 5 to 10 km using vehicle odometer along the main and accessible road sides. The plant samples with in a selected field were taken in X-fashion using 0.5m X 0.5m (0.25m²) quadrates. Reaction of wheat varieties to stem rust ranges from 5.5% - 16 %. The lowest severity of stem rust was recorded on variety Digalu (5.5%) where as the highest was from local variety (16%). In general, disease severity was classified under low class. The survey work showed that if susceptible improved and local cultivars continue to grow as mono-cropping system (due to strategy of cluster farming) serious wheat rust epidemics may occur in the zones and may cause high economic loss. Therefore, it is advised to device other farming system instead of cluster farming and replacing of susceptible varieties with new resistant varieties.

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-6-02

Publication date:March 31^st 2020