The latest version (Vol 34, July 2014, No. 2) of the Mehtaensis newsletter (a 6 monthly newsletter named after Prof. K.C. Mehta) has just been published by the DWR, Regional Station, Flowerdale, Shimla. Compiled by Dr. S.C. Bhardwaj, O.P. Gangwar, P. Prasad and Hanif Khan with technical assistance from: S.B. Singh, Subodh Kumar (Mehtaensis July 2014 Vol.34No.2). Mehtaensis contains a detailed summary of all the rust activities and race analysis results from India and neighbouring South Asian countries during the 2013/14 season. Reported highlights are summarized as follows:
There was no major outbreak of wheat rusts in India during 2013-14. However, sporadic incidence of yellow rust of wheat was observed at some locations in Northern India. Stem (Black) rust of wheat was reported on indigenous experimental wheat material planted in Uttarakhand and barley material in Karnataka. During the year 1625 samples of different rusts of wheat and barley were received/collected for pathotype analyses. Analyses of more than 1209 samples revealed that the wheat rust population analyzed is avirulent to Yr5, Yr10, Yr11, Yr12, Yr13, Yr14, Yr15, Yr24, Yr26, YrSp and YrSk (yellow/stripe rust); to Sr26, Sr27, Sr31, Sr32, Sr35, Sr39, Sr40, Sr43, SrTt3 and SrTmp (black/stem rust); to Lr24, Lr25, Lr29, Lr32, Lr39, Lr42 and Lr45 (brown/leaf rust). Predominant pathotypes were; (i) yellow/stripe rust: 46S119 (74% of samples) and 78S84 (18.5% of samples); (ii) brown/leaf rust: 77-5 (121R63-1=THTTM) predominant, followed by 104-2 (21R55=PHTTL); (iii) black/stem rust: pathotype 11 (79G31=RRTSF) was predominant followed by pathotype 40A (62G29=PTHSC). One new pathotype each of the three wheat rusts were identified, however all were less virulent than those already described. Virulence on Sr31 (Ug99 type of pathotypes) was not identified anywhere in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.