محمدعلی دهقان

Mahtab barley variety (line CB-84-10) was initially selected from International Winter Barley Crossing Block Nursery received from ICARD in 2001-2002 cropping season. During observational evaluation, preliminary yield trial and advanced yield trial during 2002-2005 cropping seasons based on its considerable grain yield compared to the other studied genotypes, this line was selected for final evaluation in the elite barley lines yield trial which was conducted in Karaj, Mashhad, Jolge rokh, Miandoab, Tabriz, Ardabil, Hamadan and Arak research stations during 2005-2007 cropping seasons. The average grain yield of Mahtab cultivar in this experiment was 7167 kgha-1, that was 591 kgha-1 (9%) higher than the grain yields of check variety Bahman. Mahtab has facultative growth habit, plant height of 88 cm, thousand kernel weight of 44 grams and exhibits lodging resistance and non-shattering rachis as well as wide adaptability across cold regions of the country. In addition, this variety has moderately-resistant (MR) to moderately-susceptible (MS) infection responses to yellow rust and powdery mildew and MR infection response to barley stripe and barley net blotch. The protein content of this variety is 11.5% that indicates its appropriate quality for animal feeding. Based on high biomass of Mahtab variety in the soft dough stage, this cultivar can be also used as green forage for animal feeding. Agricultural lands located in the cold regions of Alborz, Khorasan Razavi, Fars, East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Hamadan, Zanjan, Ghazvin, Markazi, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Isfahan and Kerman provinces are appropriate areas for cultivation of the new cultivar.

Wheat leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina is the most important wheat disease in terms of its wide distribution and yield loss in the world. To investigate the virulence factors of P. triticina in Iran, the present research was carried out in several locations including Karaj, Gorgan, Sari (Ghaemshahr), Kelardasht, Ardabil, Moghan, Boroujerd, Ahvaz, Dezfoul, and Kermanshah. In this research, 39 Near isogenic lines (NILs) developed from the wheat cultivar Thatcher and each carrying a specific leaf rust resistance gene/s were examined under natural disease infection during the two years 2022-2023. At the full opening of flag leaf stage and after uniformity in disease emergence on the susceptible cultivar, disease severity and infection type were scored based on the modified Cobb scale and Rolfes et al. respectively. In this study, reactions of 50S and higher were recorded as virulence for the contaminated lines. Based on the isogenic lines reactions in different locations in 2022, no virulence was observed on Lr1, Lr2a, Lr3ka, Lr10, Lr11, Lr12, Lr14b, Lr17, Lr18, Lr19, Lr20, Lr21, Lr22a, Lr29, Lr32, Lr33, Lr34 and the gene Lr37 and in 2023 no virulence was observed on Lr9, Lr17, Lr18, Lr19, Lr22a, Lr29 and the Lr30. Based on two-year results of isogenic lines in different locations, no virulence was observed on the genes Lr17, Lr18, Lr19, Lr22a and Lr29 gene combination in the study areas during the two years of isogenic lines and then identified as effective genes for wheat rust disease. Virulence was observed on plants carrying other resistance gene/s, at least in one location tested, indicating ineffectiveness of the gene/s to leaf rust in that location.

Due to limited water resources in the country, irrigated wheat cultivars in cold and temperate cold regions are faced with lack of irrigation or limited irrigation at the end of the season. In these areas, most farmers who cultivate irrigated wheat due to lack of sufficient water in the spring cannot perform enough irrigation and therefore do not get the desired result from cultivating high-yielding cultivars. Development of new cultivars with high grain yield under terminal drought stress conditions is one of the major goals of wheat breeding program for cold regions of country. Heyran new bread wheat cultivar introduced from International Research Center for Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT) to Iran through an international nursery in 2010 and was evaluated in a primary trial in four research stations (Karaj, Jolge-Rokh, Ardabil and Mashhad), and due to its favorable characteristics was selected for further evaluation in preliminary yield trials in cold regions. This line showed grain yield of 8417 kgha-1 under normal irrigation compared to the check cultivars Orum, Zareh and Mihan (with average yields of 7679, 6828 and 7772 kgha-1, respectively), and under terminal drought conditions with an average seed yield of 4653 kgha-1, compared to the check cultivars Orum, Zareh and Mihan (with average yields of 4375, 3544 and 4358 kgha-1, respectively) and was selected in both conditions. Aforementioned line showed grain yield of 8340 kgha-1 in advanced yield trial of cold regions breeding program under normal conditions compared to check cultivars Orum, Zareh and Mihan (with average yields of 7518, 7613 and 8205 kgha-1, respectively) in five locations, selected for final evaluation in adaptability test. Grain yield of this line which was presented as CD-92-6 at the adaptability test was 4470 kgha-1 against 3711 and 3743 kgha-1 of Zareh and Mihan checks cultivars under water stress conditions, respectively, during two cropping seasons 2013-14 and 2014-15. This line showed overall mean grain yield, of 5143 kgha-1 under terminal drought stress conditions in extensional farmer’s fields. For these conditions checks cultivars Hydari and Mihan showed grain yields of 4808 and 4758 kgha-1, respectively. Grain yield potential of this line was recorded as 6323 kgha-1 in Khorasan Razavi farmers' field. According to the latest evaluations the response of this line to yellow rusts was resistant to semi sensitive under severe artificial infection. Wheat line CD-92-6 has considerable cold tolerance and good bread making quality and based on its good agronomic characteristics in 2019 this line was released as Heyran, for cultivation under terminal drought stress conditions in the cold agro-climatic regions.

Powdery mildew of barley is one of the most important diseases of barley worldwide that occur also in most of the barley cultivation areas in Iran. The use of resistant cultivar is known as the most effective, the most economic and the most environmentally safe method of disease control. Due to the high level of genetic diversity, the fungal pathogen have a big capacity for producing new physiological races and breaking down of effective sources of resistance. This study was carried out to determine the virulence/avirulence spectrum of the pathogen in major powdery mildew conductive regions, to monitor their annual changes in recent years and to evaluate the resistance of some Iranian commercial cultivars irrigated barley to powdery mildew.

 Trap nurseries consisting 77 lines and cultivars including 19 Pallas near-isogenic lines, a supplementary set including 34 cultivars carrying known or unknown resistance gene (s) along with 24 Iranian commercial barley cultivars were planted under natural disease development conditions at six powdery mildew hot spot locations in Mashhad, Gorgan, Ghaemshahr, Pars Abad (Moghan), Dezful and Zarghan during three consecutive cropping seasons (2016-2019). Evaluation of the reaction of studied barley cultivars and lines to powdery mildew was performed in 00-99 scroing scale based on the double digit system at the flowering stage. The virulence/avirulence spectrum of the pathogen in different regions was determined by considering the infection types 1-4 as incompatibile reaction (resistance) or avirulence and the infection types 5-9 as compatibile reaction (susceptibility) or virulence.

The results of this study showed that there is a significant variation in the virulence spectrum of the pathogen in different locations of Iran, occurrence of changes in their virulence/avirulence spectrum, and appearing new virulence factores for some plants carrying resistance genes. Based on the results, Mlk and Mlk(1) resistance genes were ineffective in all locations during all three years, and Mlh, Mla22 and Mla23 resistance genes were also ineffective in all three years at least in two locations. The results also showed that the mlo resistance gene was effective in all locations, and Mla3, Mla6, Mla9, Mla13, Ml(Ru3), Mla12 and Mla14  genes were effective at least in three locations during all three years. Based on the results, new virulence factors for MlLa, Mlg and MlCP genes appeared in some regions. Evaluation of the supplementary set in different regions of Iran showed that all cultivars/lines carrying one of the alleles of the mlo resistance gene including Viskosa, Wren, Alexis, Brenda and Chalice were effective in all locations/years. Also, the majority of commercial cultivars showed a range of reaction from moderately resistant to susceptible in different locations.

Based on the high level of variation in the virulence spectrum of the pathogen in different locations and appearing new virulence factores for some effective resistance genes, as well as the susceptible or semi-susceptible reaction of most commercial cultivars, continuous research to monitor the virulence spectrum of the pathogen population and identify new genetic sources of disease resistance is necessary. Also, genetic resources with the effective resistance genes including Mla3, Mla6, Mla9, Mla13, Ml(Ru3), Mla12 and Mla14 can be used as resistant parents to develop new resistant cultivars in breeding programs.

It is essential to identify the sources of seedling and adult plant resistance genes for gene pyramiding, genetic arrangement and creation of wheat cultivars with non-specific resistance or durable resistance. The complete homology of the D genome of Aegilops tauschii with the D genome of wheat, the clear botanical state, wide ecological compatibility, the presence of very high diversity in these traits and the ease of crossing with wheat have made Aegilops tauschii a very important source for gene transfer and wheat breeding. Until now, several genes of resistance to brown rust (leaf rust) were transferred from different species of Aegilops to high-yielding bread wheat cultivars whose resistance to brown rust was broken.

In this research, 25 genotypes of Aegilops tauschii collected from its natural habitats from the Middle East, Central Asia (obtained from the Grain and Legume Seeds Collection of Ilam University) were used. This research was carried out in the Iraqi Agricultural Research Station in Gorgan, Iran in the cropping season of 2019-2019 in the form of a complete block design in three replications and under two disease stress and control conditions. In order to development and appearance of brown rust disease, the sensitive Bolani variety was cultivated around and between the crop rows. In addition, spore of the native races from Gorgan was sprayed over the studied genotypes under the stress condition. Inoculation with a ratio of one to five spores and Talc powder was applied at the two stages at sunset by dusting device.

The results showed that there was a significant difference among different genotypes of Aegilops tauschii in terms of susceptibility and resistance to brown rust disease and the measured resistance components. Statistical analyzes showed a significant correlation between the characteristics of infection intensity, infection type, the area under the curve of disease progression, and various characteristics of performance components. The results of cluster analysis by Ward's method based on Euclidean distance and average algorithm for the resistance traits and the performance component traits were placed the genotypes into four different groups including resistant, semi-resistant, semi-sensitive, and sensitive. Also, based on the results of combined analysis, a significant difference was observed for the yield components including kernel weight, number of kernel per plant, length of spike, number of kernel per spike and number of tillers under two conditions.General

Aegilops tauschii, having different genes for resistance to various diseases, is considered as a valuable parent and a rich gene source for transferring resistant genes to high-yielding cultivars. The results of this research showed that from the resistant and semi-resistant groups, suitable parents can be selected for crossbreeding with bread wheat in order to transfer the resistance gene to leaf rust.

The new bread wheat cultivar Tirgan with spring growth habit type received from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was evaluated in 2009-10 in international Nurseries. In the cropping season 2010-11, this cultivar was cultivated in preliminary regional wheat yield trials (PRWYT) of the northern climate. In the cropping season 2011-12 in advanced regional wheat yield trials (ARWYT) Tirgan cultivar was selected with an average yield of 5.731 tha-1 compared to the average yield of the control cultivars (Morvarid and Gonbad) with 5.372 tha-1. Also, in the cropping season 2012-13 and 2013-14, in the elit regional wheat yield trial (ERWYT), yield, grain yield and other traits were investigated in four stations of the northern climate (Gorgan, Moghan, Sari and Gonbad). The average yield of this cultivar in ERWYT traits was 5.893 tha-1, and the average of the check cultivars, Morvarid and Gonbad, was 5.401 and 5.356 tha-1 respectively. Due to the acceptable resistance of this variety over several years, to fusarium head blight, powdery mildew and high resistance to yellow and leaf rusts, high and stable grain yield potential with very good baking quality compared to the control varieties, this cultivar is a good substitute for the old varieties in the plains of the Caspian coast, including the Moghan plain in Ardabil province, Golestan and Mazandaran provinces, and it can increase wheat production in the region along with other varieties and have an effective role and act as one of the tools to manage and control various diseases by increasing diversity in this fully stressed climate in terms of various diseases.

Septoria tritici blotch (STB) disease caused by the fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici, is one of the most devastating wheat diseases in high rainfall areas. Study on virulence factors and genetic dynamics of the pathogen population in disease hot spots is assumed as main actions towards effective and durable genetic resistance in breeding programs for STB resistance, which could be achieved by monitoring virulence on differential wheat genotypes within STB trap nurseries. In order to monitor virulence factors of the fungal pathogen Z. tritici as well as efficacy of Stb genes to pathogen populations, response of 26 international differential wheat genotypes was evaluated under natural infection condition of trap nurseries in STB hot spots of Moghan, Dezful and Gorgan during three consecutive years of 2019-2021 based on 00-99 double digit scale. Furthermore, seedling reaction of differentials to Z. tritici isolates was investigated under greenhouse condition. The results showed that virulence pattern of pathogen populations was differed in all three locations as well as the three years of study. Based on the seedling and adult plant results, the highest virulent Z. tritici population was observed in Moghan and then in Dezful, whereas the pathogen dominated in Gorgan displayed the lowest virulence among the populations. Results of this research showed that various combinations of Stb resistance genes carried by the differential genotypes M3 (Stb16q & Stb17), KM 7 (Stb16 (S23)), Cs synthetic (Stb5), Kavkaz-K4500 (Stb6, Stb7, Stb10 & Stb12), Flame (Stb6), 3HD-138 (Stb18 (S25-winter type)), Oasis (Stb1), TE 9111 (Stb6, Stb7 & Stb11), Veranopolis (Stb2 & Stb6), Tadinia (Stb4 & Stb6) and KM 41 (Stb17 (S24)) could be used for producing wheat cultivars effectively resistant to Z. tritici populations in studied locations within breeding programs.

Rusts have always been considered as important diseases of wheat, have significant economic losses worldwide and cultivation of resistant cultivars is the most effective way to control the disease. This research project was conducted in order to evaluate reaction of 101 advanced and commercial wheat genotypes of Iran to wheat leaf rust at seedling and adult plant stages with artificial inoculation. These genotypes were evaluated in two cropping years of 2020 and 2021 in Dezful, Gorgan, Ardabil and Moghan under field conditions. In Karaj, resistance of genotypes was evaluated at seedling stage and under greenhouse conditions using four wheat leaf rust pathotypes with a specific virulence/avirulence formula. According the results of the present study, 63 percent of the genotypes of the South warm and dry zone, 96 percent of the genotypes of the North warm and humid zone, 26 percent of the genotypes of the cold zone, 57 percent of the genotypes of the moderate zone, 10 percent of the genotypes of the salinity program, and all durum wheat genotypes responded acceptable level of resistance. Under seedling conditions, 33 percent of the genotypes were resistant to four wheat leaf rust pathotypes. In this study, five cultivars Aflak, Shoush, Sirvan, Zarrineh and Ehsan were resistant in field conditions but reacted susceptibility to four leaf rust pathotypes at the seedling stage. It seems that these cultivars probably have adult plant resistance gene or genes.

Wheat powdery mildew caused by the biotrophic fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, is a serious threat to wheat production in many regions of the world. This disease can reduce the yield up to 45% and reduce the quality of the grains by affecting the flour protein. Due to the adoption of high-yield crop systems that require high use of nitrogen fertilizers and high irrigation, as well as due to climate changes towards milder winters and increased rainfall in wheat production areas, the importance of powdery mildew disease is also increasing. One of the most useful strategies to control powdery mildew disease is to identify the sources of resistance among germplasm, which is also known as the most economical method among farmers. This research was conducted to identify resistant genetic samples to powdery mildew in the bread wheat collection of the National Plant Gene Bank of Iran.

The plant materials of this research were 173 accessions of bread wheat from the collection of the National Plant Gene Bank of Iran received from different countries, which were investigated to identify the sources of resistance to powdery mildew under natural incidence conditions at the research stations of Gorgan and Sari as the disease hotspots during three crop years (2018-2021). A two-digit scoring system was used to evaluate the response of the genotypes to the disease, in which the first digit is measured based on the infection development in plant height and the second is measured based on the disease severity in terms of the infection percentage on flag leaf surface. Then, by combining these two criteria, disease development and disease severity, the infection coefficient was calculated and used for the statistical analysis. K-means cluster analysis was used to group the germplasm and determination function analysis based on principal components was used to confirm the cluster analysis results. The relationship between the reaction of accessions in different years and locations was also investigated using multidimensional scaling analysis, and then the stability of the studied accessions over the experimental years and locations was investigated using the Wricke’s equivalence stability criterion based on the infection coefficient.

The results of this experiment showed that the average coefficient of infection during the studied three crop years varied from 0.05 to 0.29 percentage in Sari station and from 0.25 to 0.29 percentage in Gorgan station. The studied genetic materials were separated into five groups using K-means cluster analysis, and the fourth group consisting of 68 accessions was identified as the most resistant group. Based on the results of this experiment, the accessions KC 5292 (Turkey) and KC 5824 (Austria) were identified as the resistant genotype, and the accessions KC 5389, KC 5579 and KC 5476 (Iran), KC 5772, KC 5773 and KC 5384 (Afghanistan), KC 5133 and KC 5147 (Portugal), KC 5715 (Japan) and KC 5801 (unknown origin) as the resistant to semi-resistant genotype, and had the most stable response to the disease in various environments.

The results of the current research showed that there is a suitable genetic capacity to identify sources of powdery mildew resistance in wheat genetic stocks. The superior and resistant genetic materials identified in this research can be used to improve resistance to powdery mildew in wheat in the future breeding programs.

Wheat leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks, is one of the most important wheat diseases due to the extent of dispersion and damage in the world. This research project was conducted in order to evaluate reaction of 111 wheat genotypes of Elite Regional Wheat Yield Trials (ERWYT-97) to wheat rust disease under field conditions in Gorgan, Sari and Ahvaz. At the planting seasons, each genotype was planted in two meter rows in three replications for two years. In Karaj, resistance of genotypes was evaluated at seedling stage and under greenhouse conditions. In greenhouse, data were recorded 12 days after inoculation by McIntosh et al. method. The results showed that out of 111 advanced wheat lines, four climates had 25 acceptable resistance lines at three locations in two years. 86 lines were susceptible in one area or over two years. Also 7, 25, 7, 3, 7 line of 26 promising lines of South Zone wheat, the 25 promising lines of North Zone wheat, 20 promising lines of Cold Zone wheat 20 promising lines of Moderate Zone wheat, 20 promising line of salinity wheat respectively showed only one resistance line.

Leaf rust is one of the most important wheat diseases in the world and Iran and the use of resistant cultivars is the most effective tool against this disease, however, the resistance of the cultivars becomes ineffective following a selective pressure on the pathogen, which makes the search for new resistance genetic resources unavoidable. The present study was performed to identify these sources of resistance in wheat germplasm. Therefore, 97 accessions from the bread wheat collection of National Plant Gene Bank of Iran were investigated under natural infection condition at Eraghi-Mahale Research Station, Gorgan, Iran, in 2017-2018. The results showed that 46.4% of the studied accessions had a zero infection coefficient that were selected for evaluation at the seedling stage. Seedling evaluation was performed in greenhouse using four pathotypes with determined virulence-avirulence factors. The results of qualitative and quantitative analyzes grouped the studied accessions into different groups with specific resistance to one or more pathotypes. Comparison of resistance response of the accessions with avirulence/virulence formula in the pathotypes indicated the possibility of presence of Lr14a in the accession 5127. Furthermore, these comparisons revealed the possibility of presence of unknown resistance genes in many of the accessions under study. The results of this study showed the valuable capacity of the bread wheat germplasm to possibly identify new genes and sources of resistance to leaf rust. Therefore, it is suggested that additional research be done to evaluate and screen the bread wheat germplasm.

A bread wheat breeding line that led to release of Tallaei cultivar introduced from International Research Center for Maize and Wheat (CIMMYT) to Iran through an international nursery in 2009 and was evaluated in a primary trial in Islam Abad-Gharb research station and due to its favorable characteristics was selected for further evaluation. This line showed grain yield of 6967 and 5370 kgha-1 under normal irrigation and terminal drought conditions, respectively, while mean grain yields of four check cultivars: Parsi, Sivand, Bahar and Pishtaz for those two conditions were 6857 and 3850 kgha-1, respectively, Aforementioned line showed grain yield of 4851 kgha-1 in advanced yield trial of temperate regions breeding program under water deficit conditions compared to 4631 khha-1 of drought tolerant check cultivar "Sirvan" in three locations, hence selected for final evaluation in adaptation trial. Grain yield of this line which was presented as M-91-18 at the adaptation trial was 7563 and 6385 kgha-1 against 8022 and 6200 kgha-1 of Parsi check cultivar under normal and water stress conditions, respectively, during two cropping seasons 2012-13 and 2013-14. This line showed overall mean grain yield, of 9583 and 8042 kgha-1 in normal irrigation and water deficit conditions under extensional farmer fields, respectively. For these two conditions check cultivar Parsi showed 7875 and 6828 kgha-1 records. Grain yield potential of this line was recorded as 10070 and 10670 kgha-1 in Alborz and Kermanshah farmers' fields, respectively. According to the latest evaluations the response of this line to yellow and leaf rusts was moderately resistant under severe artificial infection. Wheat line M-91-18 has considerable earliness and good bread making quality and based on its good agronomic characteristics in 2017 this line was released as Tallaei, for cultivation under normal and terminal moisture stress conditions in temperate agro-climatic regions.

Wheat leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks is one of the most important wheat disease due to its wide distribution and yield loss in the world. Racial variation and emergence of new races leads to break the resistance of resistant wheat cultivars. To study these changes and to identify the virulence of P. triticina Erkis., a research project was carried out by planting trap nurseries in four cropping seasons (2017-2021) in Karaj, Gorgan, Gharakhil, Kalardasht, Ardebil, Moghan, Boroujerd, Ahvaz and Dezful. At flag leaf stage and when maximum disease infection on susceptible check was observed, the disease severity and infection type were scored based on the Modified Cobbs Scale and Rolfes et al. method, respectively. According to the results of this study, during four growing seasons in different locations, no virulence was observed on varieties with Lr2a, Lr2b, Lr19, Lr34 gene(s) and the Lr10/Lr27+/Lr31 gene combination, and these genes were identified as effective for wheat leaf rust disease in Iran. Virulence was observed on varieties carrying other resistance gene(s), at least in one test location, and indicated that the above genes were ineffective in those region. Differential lines carrying Lr22a and Lr21 genes, with resistance reaction in most seasons, were effective genes, following the aforementioned genes, for resistance to wheat leaf rust in Iran, respectively.

Torabi wheat cultivar introduced to iranian wheat breeding program through an international nursery from CIMMIT (28th SAWSN) in 2010 and was evaluated under terminal drought stress implemented from the flowering stage in 2010-2011 cropping season. Then in 2011-2012 cropping season it was tested in the preliminary regional wheat yield trial under terminal drought stress in Karaj and was selected based on its average grain yield of (4878 kgha-1) compared to the average grain yield of (3939 kgha-1) Parsi check cultivar. This cultivar was further studied in the advanced regional wheat yield trial in the temperate regions of the country during 2012-2013 and with average grain yield of 6634 kgha-1 under drought stress condition compared to 6073 and 6768 kgha-1 yields of check cultivars Parsi and Sirvan, respectively, was selected for evaluation in the adaptability and yield stability. The average grain yield of Torabi (line M-92-20) in adaptability experiment during the years 2013-2015 under drought stress conditions was 6516 kgha-1 compared to 6110 kgha-1 of Sirvan check cultivar and 5697 kgha-1 of Parsi check cultivar and also its total grain yield mean was 3% higher than the average grain yields of all genotypes. Due to the resistant reaction of the line M-92-20 to stripe and leaf rust diseases, as well as the early maturity and very good bread making quality, this line was selected for evaluation in the on-farm trials in farmer’s fields. Overall in farmer’s fields, this line had grain yield mean of 8637 kgha-1 under normal irrigation, and 5672 kgha-1 under water deficit conditions compared to the average yield of check cultivars with 6150 kgha-1 under optimal conditions and 5104 kgha-1 under water deficit conditions.

Powdery mildew of barley caused by the fungal pathogen, Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei, is one of the most important leaf diseases of barley in Iran. This study was carried out to determine the virulence factors in the population of the fungus causing powdery mildew in major conductive regions of the disease in the northeast and north regions of Iran and to identify new sources of resistance. Trap nurseries (53 lines and cultivars) including cv. Pallas, 18 near-isogenic lines in the background of Pallas and a supplementary set including 34 cultivars carrying known or unknown resistance gene (s) were evaluated against powdery mildew under the natural conditions at four powdery mildew hotspot locations in northeast and north of Iran including Mashhad, Karaj, Gorgan and Ghaemshar, during three consecutive cropping seasons (2014-2016). The results of evaluation of near-isogenic lines and supplementary set in different regions showed that there was a variation in virulence spectrum of the pathogen in these locations. Virulence factors for Mlk(1), Mlp, Mlat, MlLa, Mlh, Mla22 and Mlk resistance genes appear to be common in all locations. These genes are reported as ineffective resistance genes in Iran. Virulence for the Mlp gene that was reported to be effective in many regions was appeared in Mashhad, Gorgan and Ghaemshar. The results of this study also indicated that the new virulence factors is appeared for the MlLa gene in Mashhad, Gorgan and Ghaemshar, for the Mlg and MlCP resistance genes in Mashhad and Gorgan and for the Mla3 resistance gene in Mashhad. The findings of this study indicate that the Mla7, Ml(No3), mlo5  Mla9, Mla13, ، Ml(Ru3), Mla10, Ml(Du2), Mla12, Ml(Em2) are effective in Iran and could be used as new sources of resistance in breeding programs.

Nowruz cultivar, with pedigree of GOB/Aleli//Canela/3/Arupo*2/Jet/4/Arupo/K8755//Mora, was resulted from a cross in CIMMYT and subsequent selection in the segregating population and was initially introduced to Iranian national barley breeding in 2007-08 as a pure line. Based on its yield potential and other appropriate agronomic traits this line was selected for further evaluation in the warm regions. Results of observation nursery, barley yield trials and on-farm trials in south warm and dry zone of Iran indicated that Nowruz had a good level of lodging resistance, high number of tillers and high grain yield as well as its desirable agronomic characteristics compared to check cultivars Nimrooz and Zahak. In the Elite Barley Yield Trial conducted in Ahvaz, Darab and Zabol research stations in 2010-13 cropping seasons, Nowruz with average grain yield of 5805 kgha-1 had 9% higher yield compared to Nimrooz check cultivar with grain yield of 5350 kgha-1. Nowruz is a two-rowed spring barley with an intermediate spike density, strong and short stem, high number of tillers and genetic deletion of lateral sterile florets in spike. Also, it shows resistant to moderately susceptible reactions to powdery mildew and barley stripe but completely resistant reaction to net blotch. Based on its desirable agronomic characteristics, Nowruz is expected to be spread over farmer's lands in south warm and dry zone of Iran.

Barley net blotch caused by the fungus Pyrenophora teres is a major barley disease in Iran. Identification of genomic regions associated with net blotch resistance could accelerate the process of producing new resistance cultivars. For this study, a population of 142 two-row spring barley cultivars was used for association mapping analysis using 407 SSR and AFLP markers. Phenotypic data were also obtained from disease evaluation in two seedlings and adult plant stages. Seedling (with an isolate of spot form net blotch) and adult plant stage evaluation respectively, under control conditions of Mashhad Agricultural Research Station (Toroq), and the field of Araqi Mahale Agricultural Research Station (Gorgan) during 2016-17 and 2017-18 cropping seasons. Results showed that respectively 83 and 80% of cultivars were semi-susceptible to susceptible in seedling and adult plant stage. Population structure analysis subdivided the studied cultivars into two subpopulations (K=2). The results of association mapping analysis for seedling and adult plant stages revealed that six and 13 QTLs associated with disease resistance were identified, respectively, that accounting for 2.9 (QRpts6H) -18% (QRpta4H) of the genetic variation. Four markers––E38M50-119, E38M50-355, E38M50-390, E35M54-163––were common in both growth stages. Detection of these markers could help in more detail understanding on the genetic architecture of resistance to net blotch and development of diagnostic molecular markers and be a prelude for more detail understanding of research into the candidate regions identified in the barley genome.

Leaf rust of wheat caused by Puccini recondite tritici is one of the most important diseases of wheat in the world. It is important to know the resistance genes and genotypes for wheat breeders. This study was performed to investigate the genetic variation of resistance to brown rust disease and to analyze the association of resistance indices in bread wheat using SSR molecular markers. In this study, 32 bread wheat cultivars were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 1965-1959 at the Iraqi Research Station in Gorgan. Genotypes were evaluated for traits such as infection type, percentage of infection and area under disease progression curve. Communication analysis was performed using two steps of stepwise regression and single marker based on completely unbalanced randomized design. Results of analysis of variance showed that genotypes were significantly different at 1% probability level for the studied traits. The highest positive correlation coefficient was observed between the type of infection and the percentage of infection and then between the percentage of infection and the area under the curve of disease progression. Stepwise regression results showed that in total nine SSR markers were significantly associated with at least one of the three traits studied. Coefficients of explanation for SSR markers varied from 24.1% (severity of infection) to 95.9% (infection type). Xgwm344 marker in the infection type and infection percentage with 62% and 58.3% and Xgwm547 marker in the infection type with 51.6% had the highest coefficient of explanation as group marker. Results of single marker method showed that markers Xgwm146, Xgwm344, Xgwm547, Xwmc317, Xcfa2257 and Xbarc159 with all three traits and Xgwm582 marker with two traits of infection type and percentage of contamination. According to the results of both methods, five markers Xgwm146, Xgwm344, Xgwm547, Xwmc317 and Xbarc159 showed correlation with all three traits and Xbarc8 marker did not show any association with any of the traits.

Wheat is attacked by many pathogens during the growing season, including rust. The causative agent of fungal wheat brown rust called Puccinia recondita f. sp. is also known as leaf rust. The most important way to control brown rust disease is to use resistant cultivars that effectively control and reduce its damage. The most important way to control brown rust disease is to use resistant cultivars that effectively control and reduce its damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the inheritance of brown rust resistance in different wheat cultivars and estimation of genetic parameters using diallel crossing.

Six bread wheat cultivars including Gonbad, Shiroudi, Darya, Atrak and Moghan 3 genotypes with susceptible Bolani cultivar and 15 F1 progenies from one-way diallel crosses were studied. his study was conducted as a randomized complete block design with three replications in field and greenhouse conditions. Traits included infection type, severity of infection, area under disease progression curve and incubation period. Data analysis was performed using SAS ver 9.1 and Excel software and estimation of genetic parameters and heritability of traits were studied by diallel analysis using Griffing's second method with fixed model and Jinks and Hayman method.

Analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference among genotypes for all traits, indicating genetic variation for these traits and thus genetic analysis could be performed. The mean squares of general and private combining ability were significant for all traits, indicating the importance of both enhancing effects and dominance of genes in inheriting these traits. The Baker ratio indicated the same importance of additive effects and dominance for the incubation period and for the other traits indicated greater importance of additive effects. Estimation of genetic parameters by Jinks and Hayman method showed that for all four traits, the amount of D component was lower than the dominance components (H1 and H2), indicating that the dominance component was more important than the additive component in controlling these traits. The sign of F was positive for all traits, so the frequency of dominant alleles was higher than that of recessive alleles. Wr-vr statistic was significant for all studied traits, indicating the presence of inorganic effects (epistasis). In other words, the significance of this statistic indicates the inaccuracy of the additive-dominance model for traits.

Based on the traits evaluated in field, Atrak cultivar and in greenhouse, Gonbad cultivar had good resistance to brown rust. Narrow-sense heritability of traits was estimated to be between 51 and 86%. Estimation of genetic parameters showed that additive-dominance model was not sufficient. In other words, at least resistance is predictable in resistant cultivars.

Fusarium head blight disease caused by Fusarium graminearum is one of the most important and destructive diseases of wheat in warm and humid zone. The importance of this disease is to reduce the yield and accumulation of mycotoxin in the harvested grains from infected heads, which are dangerous to humans and animals. Production of resistant varieties with using genetic resistance sources is the most effective method of sustainable control of this disease. To study the inheritance of resistance-controlling genes in cv. Morvarid, the resistant cv. Morvarid, was done cross with susceptible cv. Falat, and generations of F1, F2, BC1 and BC2 were produced. Resistance components include the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), the relative area under the disease progress curve (rAUDPC) and the final severity infection (FSI), was recorded. Parents and generations were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Parents and generations were inoculated at the adult plant stage by a mixture of Fusarium head blight isolats at the Gorgan Research Station. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among generations for measured traits. The average degree of dominance was approximately equal to unit (one) for all traits, indicating dominance genetic control. Epistasis interaction effects of additive × dominance, dominance × dominance were significant for the all traits. Broad-sense (0.45- 0.56) and narrow-sense (0.37-0.48) heritability was estimated as moderate, indicating the important role of additive effects and dominance in genetic control of these traits. The number of segregating genes for measured traits 1 to 7 genes was estimated. Since Morvarid Cv. is currently the most commercially resistant cultivar to Fusarium head blight, due to the additive effects of resistance genes in controlling these traits, selection can be applied to improve these traits in the early generations of this cultivar.

Brown wheat rust caused by Puccinia recondita f. sp tritici is one of the most important diseases of wheat in most parts of regions in the world. The progeny of F1, F2, BC1 and BC2 derived from cross of Bolani×ATRI525 and Bolani×ATRI527 with parents, were cultured in a completely randomized block desigen for the study of wheat rust resistance. Trait such as infection, Infection type, contamination coefficient and surface under the disease progression curve were measured and evaluated. Genetic analysis by analysis of means and variance of generations showed that in addition to increasing effects, epistatic effects also play an important role in the control of traits. However, dominance variance had an important role in the control of traits in the incremental variance and there was a significant difference between the generations in terms of all traits in the one percent (P<0.01) level. The results of genotyping average analysis indicated that the dominance of genes was the most important genetic factor in control of the studied traits. Epistatic additive×additive incremental addiction was more important than the epistatic dominance×dominance. The average of heritability for the traits was the percentage of infection, type of contamination, contamination coefficient and under curve of disease progression were 0.88, 0.92, 0.82 and 0.86 for the first population and 0.75, 0.68, 0.62 and 0 59 for the second population. Private heritability for the above mentioned traits was varied by 0.42, 0.34, 0.52 and 0.17 for the first population, and 0.45, 0.39, 0.46 and 0.19 for the second population. The mean genetic dominance (√(H/D) was less than one for all four attributes, indicating the role of dominance effects in trait control.

To achieve the objectives of social security and health system, it is essential to enhance the level of efficiency of social insurance funds. To hit this target, the challenges of regulation improvement should be identified and addressed in these funds. Therefore, the present study aimed at identifying the key challenges of regulation and modeling the network of management and its effective factors.

This was a cross-sectional qualitative study. In the qualitative part, a systematic review and thematic analysis were conducted using MaxQDA 10 software. Qualitative data were collected by reviewing the relevant documents and related studies. In the quantitative part, the structural-interpretative modeling and Mick-Mac analysis methods were employed. The data were collected by referring to the 14 experts selected by targeted sampling method using a questionnaire.

9 factors were identified as the key challenges in regulation of social insurance funds, including 1) management inconsistency; 2) non-clear insurance approach in population coverage; 3) multiplicity of insurance funds; 4) failure to organize the funds; 5) lack of integrity of rules and regulations; 6) weakness of regulatory authority; 7) weak policy making in management of financial resources; 8) inconsistencies in the country’s insurance tariff system; and 9) insurance cover for informal jobs. The content network was formed in a 4-level model by structural- interpretative modeling method.

Regulation challenges of the social insurance funds include a combination of factors showing the need for the formation of a unit regulator to organize these funds. The aim is to meet the key challenges in 4 layers of the proposed model and modify the regulatory and supervisory structure with a comprehensive, impartial, and specialized approach.