PJB-2024-146
POWDERY MILDEW DISEASE PREVALENCE ACROSS THE HINDUKUSH REGION OF PAKISTAN DURING THE FOUR YEARS PERIOD OF 2019 TO 2022
ZIA-UR-REHMAN
Abstract
Powdery mildew is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat that causes huge economic losses to wheat production not only on global scale but also in the Hindukush region of Pakistan. Although no significant attention was given to the disease, mainly due to the lack of information on its prevalence in Pakistan, particularly in the Afghanistan bordering Hindukush region. Disease surveillance was carried out to find the status of powdery mildew in the Hindukush region viz. Ex PATA, Ex FATA, Central and South KP of Pakistan during the four wheat seasons in 2019 to 2022. A total of 291 fields (from 22 districts) were covered in 2019, 278 fields (from 21 districts) were surveyed in 2020, 279 fields (from 21 districts) in 2021 and 297 fields (from 23 districts) were covered in 2022. Powdery mildew was detected with high prevalence in 14% fields in Ex PATA where 7% fields were found with high disease, followed by Ex FATA (6%) while the disease was detected in 1% and 2% fields in South and Central KP, respectively. Considering the overall four years, the disease was detected with high prevalence (in 9.0% fields) during 2021 followed by 2022 (8.0% fields), while the disease was found with low pressure (in 2.0% fields) during 2020. Among the surveyed varieties, most had low disease severity with the maximum observed for AAS-2011 and Triticale lines as reveled by the ACI values of 13.3 and 11.4 respectively. The information obtained from the study could be utilized in future breeding programs aimed at developing resistant varieties.
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