STUDIES ON THE RESISTANCE OF SEVERAL SPEL T WHEAT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUM (L) THELL F-SP SPELTA (L) THELL) CULTIVARS AGAINST WHEAT POWDERY MILDEW (ERYSIPHE-GRAMINIS F-SP TRITICI) AND LEAF RUST OF WHEAT (PUCCINIA-RECONDITA F-SP TRITICI)

In the present study 20 European spelt wheat cultivars were inoculated with 12 different powdery mildew isolates and 24 spelt wheat cultivar s with 43 leaf rust isolates. The selected isolates approximately cove r the virulence spectrum in Western Europe. All tests were carried out on segments of primary leaves placed on water-agar with benzimidazole . Using macroscopic host reaction, the infection of disease was assess ed in seedling stage. Concerning powdery mildew only cultivar ''Baulan der Spelz'' revealed a qualitative resistance. The response of all oth er cultivars was either intermediate or susceptible. With regard to le af rust a broad spectrum of resistance was observed. However, no compl ete resistance response was found. Five cultivars revealed a clear res istance reaction to most of the leaf rust isolates. Twelve cultivars w ere characterized by a resistance response to a group of four isolates . Six cultivars only showed sparsely resistance reaction after inocula tion.