Abstract
Exploring resistance potential of commercial wheat varieties is imperative to combat against the escalating stripe rust dilemma in the wheat cultivated areas of the northern Punjab and NWFP. A two years field-based screening of 57 Pakistani commercial varieties to evaluate their potential against stripe rust was conducted during 2005-06 and 2006-07. The commercial varieties, Soorab-96 (barley), Tatara and GA-2002 were the only three that exhibited resistant response to stripe rust at all the WSRN sites during experimentation years. There were 5 cultivars viz., Pavon-76, Kohsar-93, Fakhr-e-Sarhad, Iqbal-2000 and Durum-97 that showed a combination of resistance and partial resistance responses at the six hot spots. Contrarily MH-97, Inquilab-91, Sindh-81, Zargoon, Faisalabad-83, Faisalabad-85, Kaghan-93, Kirin-95, Kohinoor-83, LU-26, Nowshera-96, Punjab-96, Sariab-92, Sarsabz, Tandojam-83, SH-2002, Pak-81, Bahawalpur-97, Rothas-90, Suleman-96, WL-711, Zardana, Abadgar-93, Watan-94, Moomal-2002 and Margalla-99 displayed susceptible reactions at all locations except Sialkot. The compiled field results exhibit that although the virulence frequency for some of the stripe rust resistance genes remained low, yet the presence of virulence against them is alarming under the circumstances when genetic base of resistance is stumpy in the presently cultivated varieties.