Screening wheat genotypes for resistance to wheat blast disease in the vegetative and reproductive stages

The wheat blast disease has been considered one of the main biotic stress threats to food security in the world. The study aimed to evaluate the resistance of wheat cultivars to Pyricularia oryzae pathotype triticum isolates at the vegetative and reproductive stage and to perform screening of wheat lines. Experiments were carried out on plants at the vegetative and reproductive stage, with artificial inoculation of P. oryzae pathotype triticum isolates origin from different producing regions. Resistant cultivars at both stages have shown potential to be used as source of resistance in wheat breeding programs; there was no difference in aggressiveness among the P. oryzae pathotype triticum isolates tested. It was possible to identify wheat lines with resistance to the disease at the vegetative stage. Nine wheat lines selected as resistant to wheat blast disease may be incorporated at block-crosses in order to pyramidize genes of resistance to wheat blast in the breeding of new wheat cultivars.