Evaluation of Barley Germplasm for Resistance to Barley Leaf Rust (Puccinia hordei Otth)

Abstract

Sixty-five barley entries (25 pure lines from landraces; 22 accessions from PGRC/E, and 18 local crosses ) were studied for barley leaf rust resistance in a randomized complete block design with two replications. The entries were compared with a susceptible check, Trompillo. The trial was conducted for two seasons (1995 - 1996) at four locations (Ambo, Adet, Sinana and Sheno Research Centers). A significant variation among die entries was observed for the three characters studied (disease severity mentioned here as Average Coefficient of Infection (ACI), earliness and thousand kernel weight). Several entries showed different reactions to the disease at
different locations i.e. low at one or more locations and high at others. This would mean that there were differences in the pathogen populations from location to location and the host entries used in this study. Of all the entries studied, EH 1051/F2 -147H-31- 15 was the most resistant to barley leaf rust across the four locations. But, on the basis of the over all location mean several entries may be considered resistant to the disease. The observed resistance was a quantitative type of resistance. The relationships between disease severity with earliness and thousand kernel weight were negative and significant