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Out of total 132 wheat and triticale lines, 53 were found free from loose smut whereas two were having 1-3 % loose smut infection. The details of these promising entries are presented in Table 1. The inoculation and establishment of infection of loose smut in the seeds harvested during 1997-98 was quite perfect and some of the susceptible entries like HD 2556 and HW 1065 showed loose smut expression up to 98 % 'm field during 1998-99 crop season.

For the first, time, an interesting observation on the possible correlation of resistance between two major seedborne diseases namely Karnal bunt and loose smut was made. Out of 60 Karnal bunt resistant entries tested against loose smut, 32 (53 %) were turned resistant to loose smut also indicating possibilities of a positive correlation between the Karnal bunt and loose smut resistance. Both these seedborne pathogens infect the floret and host resistance plays important role in seed infection and transmission of pathogen through infected seed.

However in case of leaf diseases like rusts, leaf blights and powdery mildew, no such strong correlation of resistance to the loose smut was observed and only 12 entries out of 46 (19 %) were resistant to loose smut. Amongst wheat and triticale entries, the level of resistance was also better in triticale lines in comparison to the wheat and 13, out of 22(59 %) lines of triticale tested, were resistant to loose smut. In case of wheat only 38 % entries were resistant to loose smut. One line of Triticum dicoccum (NP 200) was tested and found free from loose smut, whereas most of the T. durum entries were also resistant. These resistant lines to loose smut with combined resistance to other major diseases are therefore recommended for the use in breeding for disease resistance in wheat and triticale. This is of further importance since resistance to only loose smut is of not much use and so far these are not being preferred as donor parents, in spite of the fact that these have been listed by earlier workers (Aujla et al. 1990; Beniwal et al. 1998).


References

 Aujla SS, Grewal AS, Nanda GS and Sharma Indu (1990) Identification of stable resistance in wheat to loose smut. Indian Phytopath 43: 90-91.

Bahadur P and Sinha VC (1978) Efficacy of Bavistin for controlling loose smut of wheat. Pesticides 12: 31-32.

Beniwal MS, Karwasra SS, Gupta A, Chhabra ML and Singh R (1998) Stable sources of resistance to loose smut of wheat. Ann Biol 14: 231-232.

Chatrath MS, Renfro BL, Nene YL, Grover RK, Roy MK, Singh DV and Gandhi SM (1969) Control of loose smut of wheat with carboxin and benomyl. Indian Phytopath 22: 183-187.

Joshi LM, Singh DV and Srivastava KD (1988) Manual of wheat diseases. Malhotra Publishing House, New Delhi 75.

Sinha VC and Singh DP (1996) Raxil (tebuconazole) in the control of loose smut of wheat. Indian J Mycol Pl Pathol 26: 297-281.

Srivastava KD, Singh DV, Aggarwal R,. Bahadur P and Nagarajan S (1992) Occurrence of loose smut and its sources of resistance. Indian Phytopath 45: 111-112.

Zadoks JC, Chang TT and Konzak CF (1974) A decimal code for the growth stages of cereals. Weed Res 14: 415-421.

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