Division of Botany, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi-12
Studies were conducted in 23 intervarietal crosses of Triticum aestivum L. to establish diverse sources for field resistance to Indian races of brown rust. Out of the eight varieties used in the study, La Prevision, Forndoso and Rio Negro were found to carry the same factors for field resistance to brown rust. Similarly, Gabo and Kenya 338 Ac.2. E.2 were found to carry identical genes for brown rust resistance. The resistant factors for brown rust present in Frontiera, Timstein x 2086 Sel. 1495 A-l-31-2-1 and Bowie are different from each other and also different from those present in the La Prevision and Gabo groups. The factors present in the La Prevision group were different from those present in Gabo group.
The varieties N.P. 784 and (Kenya-Gular-Pilot) X K58-New Thatch have become susceptible to brown rust in the field and hence may not be useful as breeding stocks for this rust.
The results have been discussed in the light of wheat breeding programmes in India.
