Status of Wheat Rust Diseases in Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Hadiya Zone is one of the major wheat producing areas in Ethiopia and it is recognized as one of the wheat belts in the country. But wheat production is threatened by abiotic and biotic constraints. Among the biotic, wheat rust (stem rust, yellow rust and stripe rust) is one of the major limitations of wheat production. Even though, Hadiya zone is known in wheat production, there is no detailed information regarding the distribution, incidence and severity of wheat rust. Therefore, this study was conducted with the following objectives: to determine distribution, incidence and severity of wheat rust and to assess the reaction of varieties against wheat rust. The survey was conducted in 2017main cropping season from mid September to mid October in three districts of Hadiya zone (Misha, Lemo and Duna). A total of 72 fields were surveyed at every 5 to 10 km using vehicle odometer along the main and accessible road sides. The plant samples with in a selected field were taken in X-fashion using 0.5m X 0.5m (0.25m²) quadrats. Rusts incidence and severity were recorded from six quadrats along the two diagonals of the X axis in the field and used to calculate average values. The result indicated that, stem, yellow and leaf  rust mean incidence value 67.18%, 4.44% and 4.4% were recorded in the surveyed areas, respectively and mean severity value of 9%, 3% and 2.3% in the same order. Reaction of wheat varieties to stem rust ranges from 5.5% - 16 %. The lowest severity of stem rust was recorded on variety Digalu (5.5%) where as the highest was from local variety (16%). In general, disease severity was classified under low class. The survey work showed that if susceptible improved and local cultivars continue to grow as mono-cropping system (due to strategy of cluster farming) serious wheat rust epidemics may occur in the zones and may cause high economic loss. Therefore, it is advised to device other farming system instead of cluster farming and replacing of susceptible varieties with new resistant varieties. Moreover, the supply of fungicides in the survey area was a problem that must be solved by the concerned body.

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-5-05

Publication date:March 31^st 2020