In Brazil, losses caused by wheat leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) occur annually. The widespread incidence in the different producing areas varies in intensity, depending on climatic conditions, level of genetic resistance of the cultivars and efficacy of chemical control. The use of resistant cultivars is the most efficient control method, and the genes conferring resistance to leaf rust fungus are denominated Lr. Several of these genes have already been identified and mapped. Some of them were mapped directly in hexaploid wheats, while others were initially found in related species, with lower ploidy level and later transferred to cultivated wheat. Among related species, Aegilops tauschii, the diploid species donor of the D genome of cultivated wheat, is indicated as an important source of resistance genes to leaf rust. The objective of this work was to evaluate the resistance of A. tauschii accessions from the Active Germplasm Bank of Embrapa Trigo (BAG - Passo Fundo, RS) to leaf rust, in order to incorporate this resistance in commercial varieties. The reaction to race SPJ-RS of Puccinia triticina was evaluated in forty accessions of A. tauschii and 25% (10 accessions) were resistant. The data obtained in this study can help in choosing resistant accessions to be used as parents in breeding programs in order to increase resistance to the pathogen.
Triticum aestivum; Puccinia triticina; Aegilops squarrosa
