Varietal mixtures for controlling yellow rust in barley

摘要

Land races of barley exhibiting considerable variability are still under cultivation in high altitude areas of Uttar Pradesh hills. The U.P. hills are deficient in food grain production and the farmers do not assign much importance to the purity ofthe variety so long as produce is for home consumption and not for sale. Due to lack of proper facilities of harvesting and thrashing in hills, mechanical mixtures become inevitable. Therefore, knowingly, or unknowingly the varietal mixtures are being grown by hill farmers incase of barley and other food grain crops. Keeping this fact in view, the present investigation was carried out to compare varietal mixtures and their component lines with respect to yield performance and development of yellow rustwhich is a major disease of barley in this area. The materials comprising of three barley varieties viz. VLB-1, Himani and Ratna and their four mixtures viz. VLB-1+ Himani, VLB-1+Ratna, Himani+Ratna and VLB-1+Himani+Ratna were evaluated in a randomised complete block design with three replications. Among varieties, VLB-1 is highly resistant to yellow rust. while Ratna is highly susceptiable and Himani exhibits quite low incidence of yellow rust under field condition. Each treatment was put in a plot size of 3 X 1.38 metres. The standard seed rate of 100 kg per hectare was adjusted for each variety according to seed size and seed germination to avoid any bias. Experiment was simultaneously repeated under irrigated and rainfed conditions following recommended cultural practices at the experimental fields of V.P.K.A.S., Almora situated 1250 metres above mean sea level at Hawalbagh in Kumaun hills. Data on grain yield were recorded from a plot of 3 X 1.38 metres in each replication. Data on yellow rust were recorded when the disease attained its peak following the methods advocated by Peterson et al (1948) and Loegering (1959). The highest rust reactions recorded in any of the replications were considered for reporting purpose.