KARNAL BUNT RESISTANCE IN SYNTHETIC HEXAPLOID/BREAD WHEAT DERIVATIVES

Abstract

Karnal bunt is caused by a smut fungus (Tilletiaindica), which results in blackening of seeds in wheat. It is one of the most common fungal diseases of wheat and is subjected to quarantine in many countries of the world. The disease symptoms are usually blackening of seeds and fishy smell. The flour made by infested wheat is unlikely to be purchased and consumed by the public. The disease spores stay potent for a long period of time for upto 5 years or more, thereby reducing the chances of its eradication. Certain methods have been used to increase the resistance of plants against Karnal bunt, which includes use of fungicides as well as exposure to artificial extreme environments to kill the pathogen. Breeding for disease resistance is of huge interest to scientists as it is cheap and also results in better quality of crop for export purposes. We screened a set of synthetic/bread wheat derivatives against Karnal bunt and identified two resistant derivatives for breeders.