Abstract only

The International Winter Wheat Improvement Program (www.iwwip.org) is was established as a joint project by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry of Turkey, CIMMYT, and ICARDA in 1986. The objective of the program is to develop facultative and winter wheat germplasm for the Central and West Asia region. IWWIP also facilitates global germplasm exchange of winter wheat by assembling lines from various sources, and evaluating and distributing selected entries through its system of international nurseries. Resistance to rusts is a high priority along with adaptation and grain quality. Due to the obvious importance of Pst race Ug99, evaluation of germplasm for resistance in Kenya started in 2008. From 2008 to 2011, approximately 3,000 entries representing germplasm from all major winter wheat producing countries, except China, were evaluated. The average frequency of resistant entries was 15-20%. Close to 50% of resistant germplasm possessed APR and was susceptible at the seedling stage. The severities of infection for APR materials were 5-15% higher than lines possessing major genes. Genetic diversity analysis of a set of resistant genotypes using parentage information revealed three clusters: USA and USA-derived germplasm with a possible presence of the Amigo-derived 1A.1R translocation; East European germplasm with strong effect of Bezostaya in pedigrees, and IWWIP germplasm based on winter x spring crosses. Race Ug99-resistant germplasm was characterized for resistance to other diseases and agronomic traits, multiplied, and made available to IWWIP global cooperators for selection and utilization in their programs.

Global Wheat Program

English

Lucia Segura

INT1787|CBAK01

CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection