Reactions of some Irrigated Commercial Wheat Cultivars to Common Bunt Disease Caused by Tilletia laevis Kühn

Reactions of fifty commercial wheat cultivars were evaluated aginst common bunt in Karaj during 2000-2004 (ten cultivars in 2000 and 2001, twenty cultivars in 2002 and 2003, and twenty other cultivars in 2003 and 2004 together with a susceptible check). All three experiments were carried out in randomized complet block design with three replications. Race L-10 of Tilletia laevis was used for artificially inoculation of seed before planting. Combined analysis of variance on mean percentage of infected heads showed significant differences between years and cultivars in all experiments. In 2000 and 2001 cultivar Hyrmand with 0.08% and Bolani with 59.8% infected heads showed high levels of resistance and susceptibility, respectively. In 2002 and 2003, cultivars Zarrin with 0%, Alvand with 0.3%, Pishtaz with 1. 3%, Azadi with 1.5% and Soisson with 1.8% infected heads were assessed as resistant cultivars.In 2003 and 2004, cultivars Karaj 3, Bayat, and Aria with 0.3%, 0.3% and 1.5% infected heads were resistant. As sources of resistance to common bunt in irrigated wheat cultivars are rare in the world, resistant cultivars found in the present study are very suitable for cultivation in infected areas or to be used as sources of resistance in breeding programs.