*PAU Regional Research Station, Bathinda
National Centre for Integrated Pest Management, Lal Bahadur Shastri Building, Pusa Campus, New Delhi
National Symposium on “Plant Pathology in the Changing Global Scenario” held at National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi on February 27–28, 2009
Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) is an important Rabi oilseed crop, widely grown in northern belt of India. Altenaria blight (Alternaria brassicae), white rust (Albugo candida) and Sclerotinia rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) are more yield destabilizing factors in Indian mustard. Identification of multiple disease resistance is one of the best and economical aspects of managing these diseases. Keeping this in view, Indian mustard germplasm consisting of 30 elite genotypes from yield point along with six commercial notified varieties was field evaluated against Alternaria bight (AB), white rust (WR) and Sclerotinia rot under natural epiphytotic conditions of Bathinda. Each genotype was sown in 3m long rows spacing 30x10 cm in RBD with 3 replications. Susceptible cultivar RL 1359 was planted after every 5 test entries and all test entries were also flanked by two rows of susceptible check to create epiphytotic conditions. None of the genotypes was found free from all the three diseases. White rust was more severe in 2005, whereas Sclerotinia rot was more severe in 2006. The disease data indicated five elite genotypes viz., PBR 283, PBR 288, PBR 310, PBR 319 and PBR 324 were found least affected by all three diseases as compared to other genotypes. Among varieties, PBR 91, PBR 97 and PBR 210 showed high degree of resistance against white rust and Sclerotinia rot. Resistant genotypes identified could be utilized to develop the cultivars with multiple disease resistance.
