~ 591 ~ International Journal of Chemical Studies 2021; 9(2): 591-595 P-ISSN: 2349–8528 E-ISSN: 2321–4902 www.chemijournal.com IJCS 2021; 9(2): 591-595 © 2021 IJCS Received: 02-01-2021 Accepted: 07-02-2021 Shivam Kumar Department of Plant Pathology, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India Ghanshyam Verma Department of Plant Pathology, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India Krishna Kumar Department of Plant Pathology, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India Kishan Lal Department of Plant Pathology, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India Corresponding Author: Shivam Kumar Department of Plant Pathology, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India Screening of wheat genotypes against foliar blight pathogens under artificial inoculation conditions Shivam Kumar, Ghanshyam Verma, Krishna Kumar and Kishan Lal DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/chemi.2021.v9.i2i.11881 Abstract Foliar blight disease caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem is most important disease of wheat in North Eastern plain zones (NEPZ) representing warm and humid climate in India. It is also increasing in North Western plains zones (NWPZ), due to climate changes and causes considerable losses in susceptible varieties. A field study was conducted during Rabi, 2016-17 crop seasons at Main Experiment Station, Narendradev University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad to test the resistance of 150 genotypes against Bipolaris sorokiniana under artificial epiphytotics conditions. Each genotype was sown in last week of November in single row of one meter length. Variety Raj 4015 was used as check and was sown after every 20 genotypes. Pure culture of Bipolaris sorokiniana was inoculated on genotypes by using cleaned sprayer, at evening. Disease data was recorded using double digit scale based on per cent blighted area on flag leaf and one leaf just below. Out of 150 genotypes, no any genotype found immune, 9 genotypes were found resistant, 66 were moderately resistant, 69 were moderately susceptible and 5 were found susceptible and no any genotype found high susceptible against spot blotch disease of wheat. Keywords: Spot blotch of wheat, symptoms, stock culture, varietal screening, yield losses Introduction India is the world’s second largest wheat producer, behind china and ahead USA. It has revealed from the archaeological records that wheat was cultivated in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa nearly 5000 year back. The important of wheat as a food of South Asia is well known. It is grown during the mid-winter months of November to April. The common bread wheat, T. aestivum, is the most important species, occupying more than 90% of the wheat area and 87% of the total wheat production in the country. In world, Wheat is grown over 224.7 million hectare area with production of 734.80 million metric tons and yield of 3.27 metric tons per hectare. In India, wheat is grown over 31.47 million hectare area with production of 86.53 million metric tons and yield of 2.75 metric tons per hectare (Anonymous, 2016) [5] about 91% of the total wheat production is contributed by northern states. Among them, Uttar Pradesh rank first with respect to area (9.645 m.ha.) and production of (30.00 m.t.) but the average productivity (27.86 q/ha) is much lower as to Punjab and Haryana (Anonymous, 2016) [6] . Spot blotch or Helminthosporium leaf blight caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem. Is a most important disease of wheat in north eastern plains zone (NEPZ) representing warm and humid climate in India as well as in other South Asian countries. It is also increasing in North western plains zone (NWPZ) due to climatic change and causing losses in susceptible varieties (Singh D.P., 2014) [27] . Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoemaker is a seed and soil borne pathogen, causes head blight, seedling blight, foliar blight/ spot blotch, common root rot and black point of wheat, barley and other small cereal grains and grasses (Wiese, 1998) [29] . Symptoms mainly develop in the form of dark brown necrotic spots (boat shaped) occur on the coleoptiles, leaves, crowns, stems, and roots with or without yellow halo around these. Darkening of the sub crown internode is a characteristic symptom. Lesions on the leaves start as a few mm that extend as elongated dark brown spots greater than 1-2 cm (Chand et al., 2002) [8] . The severity of the disease is directly influenced by tillage operation, irrigation scheduling, soil fertility level, sowing density, crop growth stage, occurrence of late rains during crop cycle, heat stress during grain filling, late planting, high temperature and high relative humidity causing more than 12 hours duration of leaf wetness (Sharma and Duveiller, 2003) [24] .