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Characterization of Ustilago segetum tritici causing loose smut of wheat in northwestern India

Abstract Loose smut of wheat, caused by Ustilago segetum tritici, occurs in India wherever the crop is grown. Chemical seed treatments used by seed producers and farmers result in a low incidence of the disease. However, the deployment of loose smut resistant cultivars could lead to reduced use of seed treatment chemicals in the wheat crop. Knowledge of the virulence of natural populations of U. segetum tritici is necessary to identify effective host genes for resistance. Since the late 1980s, there have been sporadic reports on the virulence characteristics of the U. segetum tritici population in India, but the current status is unknown. Thirty-five isolates of U. segetum tritici were collected from cultivars grown at various locations in five states of northwestern India from 2008–2011. The collected isolates were characterized for virulence on the standard Canadian differential set developed by Nielsen. The isolates represented 6 races, representing 43% of the 35 isolates, with race T34 being the most common. Two new races, T59 and T60, were identified. Two individual isolates collected from Triticum aestivum representing 2 different races, T1 and T57, originated from geographically diverse regions. Race T1 is from Mansa (210 m above mean sea level) and T57 from Palampur (1220 m above mean sea level). The isolates corresponding to the other races were not restricted to a particular area or wheat type.