Wheat disease studies have been conducted with the parallel to breeding programs since 1969 in our section. In this studies based on resistance breeding, the reactions against important disease of cultivars and lines and resistance sources in the region are determined by created artificial disease epidemics on breeding material and by established trial under diseased fields (soil borne wheat mosaic virus).
The aim of disease studies are the developing and gaining production of resistant varieties by tested to varieties and lines used breeding programs against to wheat disease in the controlled and field conditions. For this purpose, wheat lines, developed by wheat breeding section and are in pre-yield, yield and region yield steps, are tested to against major diseases seen in our region. The most important wheat diseases in Central Anatolia and Access Regions are yellow rust, stem rust, brown rust, bunt, smut, soil borne wheat mosaic virus, root and stem rot diseases and cereal cyst and root-lesion nematode are causing damage to the wheat. Many cultivars have been developed by hybridization with specific against these diseases. In studies up to now; Kıraç-66, Süzen-97, Çetinel-2000, Müfitbey, Nacibey and Altıntaş-95, Dumlupınar bread and durum wheat cultivars developed by Transitional Zone Agricultural Research Institute has been determined to resistant for smut.
Sultan 95, Çetinel 2000, Alpu-01, İzgi-01, Soyer-02, Müfitbey, Nacibey, ES-26, Yunus, Mesut and Reis cultivars were developed to against yellow rust disease which are the most important disease in the region as a result of endurance tests. These cultivars are extensively cultivated in this region. The cultivars which are resistant to stem rust seen in later period in our region are Atay85, Alpu-01 and Nacibey bread wheat cultivars and Altıntaş-95 durum wheat cultivars.
One of the studies done on wheat diseases in our Institute since 1971, is the Soil Source Wheat Mosaic Virus. This disease is widely present in Alpu, Mahmudiye region and Turgutlar village. When the sensitive cultivars of this disease are cultivated, losses of yield can be up to 80%. The studies on these issues are carried out to infected farmers' fields in the region. Es-14, Sultan-95,Süzen-97, Altay-2000, Müfitbey bread wheat cultivars and Karma-2000, Presto-2000 triticale cultivars have been identified resistant to disease in the endurance test studies. Besides, endurance tests studies against to root and stem rot diseases and cereal nematode have continued in the controlled conditions since 2001 at our Institute. As a result of endurance tests studies, it was determined that Altay 2000 bread wheat cultivars tolerant against to root and stem rot disease (Fusarium culmorum), and Sönmez-01 bread wheat cultivars tolerant against cereal cyst nematodes (Heterodera filipjevi), respectively.
