GrainGenes

Satish C. Sharma, G.S. Sethi, D.L. Sharma, and K.S. Thakur.

A new, high-yielding and early maturing wheat cultivar, `Aradhna' (HPW 42), having a high degree of resistance to stripe and leaf rusts has been found promising for cultivation under late-sown, rainfed conditions in the low and mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh to replace the predominantly grown cultivar, Sonalika, which has become highly susceptible to rust and loose smut. Aradhna (HPW 45) was released earlier by the Central Seed Sub-Committee and the State Seed Sub-Committee for cultivation in the high altitude areas (above 1500 m above sea level) of the Northern Hill-Zone of India.

Aradhna is a semidwarf cultivar with white glumes, dense fully-bearded spikes, good tillering ability, and wide adaptability. Under late-sown, rainfed conditions over years and over locations, it gave an average grain yield of 28.9 q/ha compared to 21.9 q/ha for the Sonalika check (Table 1) and registered a 32 % increase in grain yield over the Sonalika check and a 18 % increase over another check cultivar, HS 295, in Himachal Pradesh.

Table 1. Mean performance of the cultivar Aradhna (HPW 42) under the late-sown, rainfed

conditions in Himachal Pradesh (1990-91 to 1992-93).

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Grain yield (g/ha)

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Year No. of Aradhna Sonalika HS 295 C.D.

trials (HPW 42) (check) (check) (P = 0.05)

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1990-91 3 33.0 23.4 26.5 3.5

1991-92 3 29.1 25.4 25.5 3.3

1992-93 3 24.7 17.0 21.5 2.8

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0verall mean 9 28.9 21.9 24.5

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Aradhna (HPW 42) increase over check cultivars in HP

Percent increase over Sonalika = 32 %

Percent increase over HS 295 = 189 %

Aradhna possesses a high degree of resistance to stripe and leaf rusts under natural and artificial epiphytotic conditions (Table 2) compared to the check cultivars. The new cultivar has shown seedling resistance to all the new pathotypes of stripe rust, A, I, K, L, and N, and has a comparatively high degree of resistance to the race 77 complex and 104 B of leaf rust, to which the check cultivar, HS 295, is susceptible. It also exhibited resistance to flag smut and powdery mildew. The probable rust-resistance genes of the cultivar HPW 42, as per a report on the results of the coordinated experiments, crop protection (Pathology, Wheat Project Directorate, Karnal, 1993-94) are Sr31, Lr26 + Lr34

+ Lr1, and Yr9 + Yr18. Therefore, the cultivar Aradhna (HPW 42) will provide the necessary diversity along with the cultivar HS 295.

Table 2. Reaction to major diseases (maximum reaction).

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Disease Aradhna Sonalika HS 295

(HPW 42) (c) (c)

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1. Stripe rust (North)

(a) natural 0 100S (52.4) 20S (10.0)

(b) artificial 0 60S (34.0) 20S (4.0)

2. Leaf rust (North)

(a) natural tR (0.1) 100S (68.0) 10S (1.6)

(b) artificial 20S (5.1) 100S (72.9) 20S (9.1)

3. Stem rust (South)

(a) natural ND ND ND

(b) artificial 20MR 60S (29.7) 20MS (4.6)

4. Flag smut

artificial R S S

5. Powdery mildew

(a) natural 3 3 3

(b) artificial 3 9 5

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Figures in parentheses denote average coefficients of infection (ACI).

ND = no development.

The cultivar Aradhna showed the least mean infestation to brown wheat mite at the Delhi Centre (5.62 mites/10 sq cm) and the Durgapura Centre (4.56 mites/10 sq cm). Also, it remained free from infestation to shoot fly at the Durgapura Centre, whereas the Sonalika check recorded an infestation of 6.06 %.

With respect to grain quality, HPW 42, with an 11 % protein content, recorded the highest hectolitre weight and sedimentation value compared with the check cultivars. It yields amber, medium-bold, and hard lustrous grains.

Results of 0n-farm trials. 0n-farm trials of cultivar Aradhna were conducted during 1993-94, along with the check cultivars, Sonalika and HS 295, in different districts and university research stations statewide. The results indicated the superiority of Aradhna, because it gave the highest mean grain yield of 30.4 g/ha compared to the check cultivars (Table 3).

Table 3. Mean performance of the cultivar Aradhna in on-farm trials (1993-94).

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No. of Mean grain yield (g/ha)

Station/District trials _______________ ____________________________________

Aradhna (HPW 42) HS 295 Sonalika

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A. Rainfed

KVK Dhaulakuan 2 24.5 19.5 -

Sundernagar 1 32.2 30.0 20.0

Bilaspur/Berthin 3 27.5 28.9 -

Mandi 7 23.4 29.1 20.8

RRS, Bajaura 6 25.4 20.7 21.7

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Mean 19 26.6 25.6 20.8

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B. Irrigated

Una/KVK 4 39.0 37.8 -

Kullu 2 62.6 50.0 35.0

RRS, Dhaulakuan 2 24.5 20.5 -

Sirmour 1 22.7 29.2 -

Kangra 1 29.2 38.3 40.0

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Mean 10 37.6 35.2 37.5

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Overall mean 30.4 28.9 26.5

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Aradhna carries a 1RS-1BL translocation and is a derivative of Veery `S'

(VEE`S'/4/PVN`S'/CBB//CNO`S'/3/JAR/ORZ`S').