Assessing leaf rust resistance in Pakistani wheat landraces and its impact on grain yield

Abstract

Leaf rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia triticina, is the most widespread rust disease in wheat, involving two hosts: common wheat as the primary host and specific plants like Thalictrum speciosissimum or Isopyrum fumaroides as alternate hosts. The present study investigated the crucial interplay between leaf rust resistance and grain yield in 10 Pakistani wheat landraces. By employing comprehensive assessments, including field trials and molecular analyses, the research sheds light on the resistance mechanisms within these landraces. Moreover, it examines the direct correlation between leaf rust resistance levels and the resultant grain yield, unraveling critical insights into the potential enhancement of wheat cultivars amidst the escalating challenges posed by this devastating disease. The findings hold promise for optimizing agricultural strategies, ensuring sustainable wheat production, and safeguarding global food security. The study focused on 10 bread wheat landraces, examining traits crucial for high-yielding varieties. Traits such as days to heading, days to maturity, grain filling period, flag leaf area, peduncle length, spike length, grains per spike, as well as measurements like 10-grain width, 10-grain length, and 100-grain weight were recorded. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) for these ten genotypes highlighted significant differences (P<0.05 and P ≤ 0.01) across all traits.