Status of major wheat diseases in sub mountainous region of district Ropar, Punjab, India

The wheat diseases, including yellow rust, brown rust, powdery mildew and karnal bunt, continue to be the major impediments to the successful cultivation of wheat crops in the sub-mountainous region of Ropar (Punjab). During the survey, it was observed that the yellow rust disease is a pre-dominant disease of wheat in this region and has always appeared first foci of infection in Ropar district for the last several years in Punjab. The disease caused maximum infection on cultivar Barbat, HD 2967, Shriram 212 followed by WH 1105, HD 3086, PBW 677, HD 3226 and low infection on Unnat PBW 343 and PBW 1 Zn, DBW 222 and PBW 766. However, no infection was recorded in PBW 725, Unnat PBW 550 and PBW 752. The brown rust disease was absent from most of the fields. Although, occasionally found in few low-level fields (5-10S among infested fields). The head blight disease was primarily recorded in durum wheat in wet areas and the maximum incidence (16.45%) was found in the Barbet cultivar in season 2021-22. The karnal bunt disease frequently appeared in this region depending upon the weather condition at the booting stage of the crop and recorded the prevalence range of 0.1-0.40 per cent in surveyed fields. The survey reports will help to prioritize disease management in extension programmes in this region.