1Department of Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, Punjab
2Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004, Punjab
*Corresponding author: ritubansal@pau.edu
Online published on 22 September, 2017.
The study was planned to standardize an efcient inoculation method for covered smut of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) caused by Ustilago hordei (Pers.) Lagerheim. Among diferent methods of artifcial inoculation tried, mechanical dehulling of barley seeds followed by inoculation by dipping in spore suspension for 30 minutes proved to be the best method for creating artifcial epiphytotic with 82.28 and 21.86 per cent disease on plant and tiller basis, respectively. This method was followed in efciency by inoculating seeds with spore and talcum powder mixture (1:3). There was 70.73 and 17.31 per cent infection on plant basis and tiller basis, respectively. Eighty three barley germplasm accessions comprising of 73 germplasm lines and 10 varieties were evaluated against covered smut disease. Among the 10 varieties, two viz. PL 419 and hBL 316 were found to be completely free from the disease, whereas three varieties i.e. SONU, PL 172 and PL 426 were found to be resistant. Likewise, three varieties i.e. hBL 113, hBL 391 and PL 807 showed moderately resistant reaction. Among 73 germplasm lines, 18 showed high level of resistance and were found free from the disease. Twenty one germplasm lines were found to be resistant, whereas twenty four showed moderate resistance against covered smut.
Barley, Covered smut, Germplasm lines, Inoculation method, Resistance, Varieties
