Abstract

Ashagre Asnakew Zewde*

Stem rust causes a huge amount of loss on wheat productivity in Ethiopia. It is due to wheat varieties are released without conferring resistance gene. Identification of each available resistance genes in the accessions is very important. The aim of the research was to select durum wheat accessions for their adult plant resistance against stem rust. A total of twenty durum wheat accessions were tested six (TTRTF, TKTTF, TRTTF, TTTTF, TTKSK and JQCRC) stem rust races. The experiment was conducted at Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centre using augmented design at nursery and main research field. Accessions were evaluated by slow rusting parameter Average Infection Coefficient (AIC), Area Under Progress Curve (AUDPC), Terminal Rust Severity (TRS) and Disease Progress Rate (DPR). As a result; accession 12, accession 1 and accession 2 has low rusting values with resistance to all selected races while; accessions 17 and accessions 18 had highest AIC, AUDPC, TRS and DPR at high susceptibility value. Identified accessions from this study; gives for wheat breeders good resources for improving stem rust resistance. The result from this experimental study shows that cultivars had diversity regarding to resistance reaction ranging from resistance to susceptible accessions.