SCREENING OF WHEAT GERM PLASM FOR RESISTANCE TO MICRODOCHIUM NIVALE UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS

Pink snow mold, caused by Microdochium nivale, is a serious disease of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the Northern Hemisphere. A field study with artificial inoculation was conducted using 38 winter wheat cultivars during the 2002-2003 at Erzurum, Turkey. Significant differences were detected among cultivars for reaction and yield components to the M. nivale. The most resistant winter wheat cultivars were Harmankaya and Pehlivan, and the most susceptible ones were Aytin-97, Kirgiz-95 and Bayraktar. Yield components decreased significantly in inoculated plants. Pink snow mold resulted in decreased number of spikes per m(2), the grain yield and the plant height of 71.1, 67.3 and 13.2% respectively