Identification of Spot Blotch-Resistant Parents and Recombinants in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) for Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

This study aimed to identify resistant barley lines/genotypes (Hordeum vulgare L.) for spot blotch disease caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana. The experimental material for the present investigation was generated by using eighteen varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), having wider genetic diversity for hulled and /or hulless characteristics. These varieties were collected from various AICRP research centers on wheat and barley. The crosses were made among the selected varieties by grouping them as Hulled x Hulled, Hulled x Hulless and Hulless x Hulless. The selected varieties were sown in crossing block and desired cross combinations (F1’s) were generated under All India Coordinated Wheat and Barley Improvement Project (AICRP) during Rabi 2015-16. The hybrid seeds (F1’s) of thirty-nine cross combinations were raised to make the back crosses i.e., B1, B2 and F2 generation during Rabi, 2016-17. The Parents (P1 and P2), the F1 hybrids, the F2 population and the back cross populations (B1 and B2) were sown at Research Farm of A. N. D. U. A & T., Kumarganj, Ayodhya during Rabi 2017-18. Resistance of all the genotypes against spot blotch was assessed by double digit scale, based on percent blighted area on the flag leaf and penultimate leaf. Out of all cross combinations tested, ten genotypes were found resistant, eighty-six moderately resistant, fifty-one moderately susceptible, fourteen susceptible during the crop season. The genotypes that showed resistance against Spot Blotch disease based on the performance could be fixed and used as parent material for further breeding programme to introgress the resistance in disease susceptible high yielding varieties. The identified resistant genotypes could also be released as a pureline variety after fixation.