Effect of common bunt [Tilletia caries (DC) Tul] infection on agronomic traits and resistance of wheat entries

Wheat common bunt is a serious disease that may causes to yield losses of about 75–80% in wheat producing countries including Kazakhstan. This study conducted during 2019 and 2020 at Almaty Region, Kazakhstan, aimed to screen Romanian and Turkish wheat entries for resistance to common bunt Tilletia caries (DC) Tul. As a result of the research, promising wheat entries were identified which are designed to increase resistance to common bunt. The seeds of different wheat genotypes were artificially inoculated with a mixture of the pathogen teliospores and planted in Almalybak village, Almaty region, Kazakhstan. Disease assessment for each genotype carried out at the maturity stage. The results showed that most of the tested wheat entries demonstrated a susceptible, moderate-susceptible or resistant reaction to the disease. While such wheat entries, as five Romanian (RETEZAT, 02429GP-1, F08347G8, F06393GP10, F07270G2), one Turkish (262-TREGO/BTYSIB//ZARGANA-6/4/AU/CO652337//2*CA8–155/3), and one Kazakh wheat variety Almaly showed a high level of disease resistance. It was found that the combination of common bunt a complex of agronomically valuable traits distinguishes in wheat entries KATEA-1/3/059E//JAGGER/PECOS/4/AU/CO652337//2*CA8–155/3/F474S1–1.1,338-K11//ANB/BUC/3/GS50A/4/TREGO/JGR8W/5/WELS2,TAM105/3/NE70654/BBY//BOW“S”/4/CENTURE*3/TA2450/5/TX71A1039.V1*3/AMI/BUC/HR-C/6/ZARGANA3/6/BONITO-36,F08245G1, and PARTENER and exceeded standard variety Almaly. The identified resistant genotypes will be valuable in the breeding programs of Kazakhstan for the development of common bunt resistant wheat varieties.