Responsibility: To determine the disease constraints of cereals and food legumes in Central Anatolian Plateau, and execute pathological research to improve crop productivity in collaboration with other disciplines.
History: Long time, phytopathology activities were carried in pathology units as parf of Breeding and Genetics Department since the estblishment ot the ınstitute in 1928. Proiect based pathology activities at the institute started for wheat, barley and chickpea in 1972, 1983 and 1984, respectively. The Department was named as Department ot Crop Disease and Resistance Breeding in 1982.
Resources: Currently 3 scientists (2 PhD, 1 MSc) 4 technicians are employed. A basic pathology laboratory, 240 m2 control greenhouse, 1 growth cabinets / rooms and 0.05 ha field resources exist at Yenimahalle Campus where department is based. At the Ikizce research farm of the institute, 1.5 ha field resources exists with sprinkle-irrigation facility.
Research approach: 1) Intensifying efforts on economically important diseases of cereals and food legumes, 2) Establishment and execution of projects in collaboration with other disciplines such as breeding, agronomy, gram quality, genetic resources and economics/extension, 3) Integrated approach in project development with other national (such as field crops research institutes) and international (such as ICARDA & CIMMYT) institutions are the principles.
Reseach areas: Approximately 70% of the resources and efforts are allocated to wheat rust work. Following are the research areas covered.
Wheat pathology (Winter & Facultative bread wheat, Durum wheat, wheat relatives):
Rust (Puccinia spp.)-Especially Stripe rust (P.striiformis) and Stem rust (P. graminis tritici),
Common bunt (Tilletia foetida, T. cariles), Loose smut (Ustliago nuda).
Barley pathology (Feed-Malting):
Scald (Rhynchosporium secalis), Barley leaf Stripe (Pyrenophora graminea) and Covered smut (Ustiiago hordei)
Chickpea pathology: Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabieı)
Current activities:
Surveys: Disease situation of wheat, barley and chickpea in the Central Anatolia is investigated every year.
Virulence patern of rusts: In collaboration with other institutes, occurrence and virulence pattern of wheat rust is determined around the country, through trap nurseries.
Greenhouse and field evaluation ot nurseries for disease resistance: Nearly 20 000 entries at different stages are evaluated every year for disease resistance. Seedling tests are carried out especially for the screening of barley nurseries against scald and barley leaf stripe in greenhouses at Yenimahalle campus. Majority of field evaluations are made at the research farm in Ikizce and partly at Yenimahalle campus.
Research findings:
Through continuous research activities 1) Prevalence of wheat, barley and chickpea diseases in the Central Anatolian Plateau have been identified, 2) Virulence pattern of wheat rusts have been determined for improvement of breeding strategies, 3) Resistance germplasm pools have been established for the important diseases, containing 1.250 wheat, 540 barley and 120 chickpea lines/varieties, 4) A number of varieties have been registered with good disease resistance characteristics by the institute. Recently registered such varieties are nine bread wheat varieties (Ikizce96, Yakar99, Mızrak, Aksel 2000, Bayraktar 2000, Demir 2000 Atlı-2002, Seval, and Kenanbey) with tolerance and good resistance to especially stripe rust, two bread wheat varieties (Aksel 2000 and Bayraktar 2000) with tolerance and good resistance to especially leaf rust stripe rust, three bread wheat varieties (Bayraktar 2000, and Seval, and Kenanbey) with tolerance and good resistance to especially stem rust, Zencirci2002 with tolerance resistance to especially bunt, two barley (Çetin 2000 and Avcı 2002) with good resistance to Scald, two chickpea varieties (Akçin 91 and Gökçe) with tolerance and resistance to Ascochyta blight.
