DEVELOPMENT OF A BREAD WHEAT CULTIVAR OF HIGH PRODUCTIVITY AND RESISTANT TO LEAF RUST IN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN IRRIGATED AREAS IN IRAQ

Abstract

Wheat breeding program began in 1998 to obtain new variety with high productivity. The F2 of sixty crosses between different parents from ICARDA were introduced. The selection purification was done during the period 1998-2003 by using pedigree method. Series of experiments and field demonstration carried out during two con-secutive seasons (2010-2011 and 2011-2012) with application of selection index to selected inbred lines superior over the local variety (Sham 6). Results showed that selection J53 (Al-Fayad) from cross (ACSAD 875 // URES *2 / PRIS) was superiority in grain yield ranged between (5153.9 - 7329.4 kg.ha-1) over the sham 6 by 46% - 174.8%. The high grain yield of this variety related to its components, in addition to variety resistant to leaf rest since the degree of resistance to disease according to loegering scale ranged (R to 5R), of what added the staibility to the productivity of developmented line J53 over seasons and locations of evaluation, whereas the variety Sham6 gave sencetive degree (65 S) according to loegering scale over seasons and locations of evaluation, which led to de-creasing the productivity of the variety Sham 6. We conclude that the genotype J53 have higher potential to su-perior grain yield per area unit, and its resistance to the disease of leaf rust over the seasons that spread the dis-ease with endemic form at Hawija and Tikrit compared to the certified variety at that area. Therefore we rec-ommend registering and adoption of this genotype with name "Al-Fayad", because of its copious' productivity.