Disease resistance in wheat 2. behavior of aegilops species with respect to puccinia recondita f sp tritici puccinia graminis f sp tritici and erysiphe graminis f sp tritici
Pasquini, M.
Genetica Agraria 34(1-2): 133-148
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0016-6685 Accession: 005169170
Aegilops spp. represent an important resistance source to the most frequent wheat diseases in Italy. Aegilops possesses many genetic factors for resistance to mildew. The resistance appears either in a combined form or separately with respect to the different pathogens. A wide resistance is present in species very closely related to wheat like A. speltoides. Resistant strains have been found in A. aquarrosa, the diploid donor of the D genome to Triticum aestivum. Aegilops spp., through hybridization, could be utilized not only for diseases resistance but also for drought and lodging resistance. The presence in this material of many undesirable characters as brittle rachis, hulled seed, a low number of fertile spikelets, few florets for spikelet, etc., cannot be underestimated. Aegilops, which is so closely related to Triticum and important for its evolution, is conveniently utilized to synthesize types (amphidiploids) of no immediate economic value, but useful for future breeding work.