Back to Contents

FREE FULL TEXT PDF

PATHOGENIC DIVERSITY IN BIPOLARIS SOROKINIANA ISOLATES COLLECTED FROM DIFFERENT WHEAT GROWING AREAS OF THE PUNJAB AND NWFP OF PAKISTAN

SHAHZAD ASAD, SHAMIM IFTIKHAR, ANJUM MUNIR, IFTIKHAR AHMAD* AND NAJMA AYUB**

Abstract: Leaf blight of wheat caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Cochliobolus sativus) is a world wide economically important foliar disease. It mainly occurs in warm, humid wheat growing areas. In Pakistan Helminthosporium leaf blight (spot blotch) has been noted in southern province of Sindh, where winter temperatures are warmer. During a survey conducted in different agro-ecological zones of Pakistan from 2004 to 2005, Bipolaris sorokiniana was found to be a predominant pathogen. Eighty-seven isolates of B. sorokinaina isolated from 6 different zones were tested for their aggressiveness on cv. Inqliab-91, Wafaq-2001 and Bhakhar-2001. The majority of the isolates were found more aggressive on cv. Wafaq-2001 than Inqliab-91 and Bhakkar-2001 whereas, two isolates were categorized as least aggressive, 57 slightly aggressive and 27 were moderately aggressive while one isolate P₂ 9 collected from Khanewal (zone 5) exhibited most aggressive reaction.

Crop Diseases Research Program, Institute of Plant and Environment Protection, National Agricultural Research Centre, Park Road, Islamabad-45500, Pakistan

*Member Plant Sciences Division, PARC, P.O.Box 1031, Islamabad

**Department of Biological Sciences Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.