YIELD LOSSES CAUSED BY YELLOW AND BROWN RUSTS

The present study clearly emphasizes that resistant or slow rusting varieties should be cultivated under farmers field conditions, to avoid the yield losses of stripe and leaf rusts in wheat varieties/lines.All the environmental conditions significantly influenced leaf rust than the stripe rust. A significant correlation was observed between leaf rust and maximum and minimum temperature, rainfall and sun shine radiations. However, non significant correlation were found between stripe rust and the environmental conditions. When maximum and minimum temperature increased the leaf rust severity also increased. Similarly the sunshine radiations and rainfall influenced positive effect on the leaf rust. Leaf rust infection on different varieties/lines increased with an increase in sunshine radiations and rainfall.