Hybrid Lethality and Resistance To Wheat Pathogens in Free Threshing Hexaploid Wheats

Twenty eight accessions of three free-threshing hexaploid wheat species, viz., Triticum sphaerococcum, T. compaction and T. petropavlovskyi were studied for the presence of necrosis (Ne1 & Ne2) and chlorosis (Ch1 & Ch2) genes. They were also evaluated for resistance to stem rust, leaf rust, stripe rust and powdery mildew. Eleven out of 16 T. sphaerococcum accessions were Nel carriers while only two out of ten of T. compactum were having Nel. Two strains of T. petropavlovskyi, endemic to China, were also Nel carriers. None of the accessions had gene Ne2. All the 28 accessions were found to carry Ch2 gene. A few sphaerococcum and compactum accessions appear to be good sources of stripe rust resistance.