Spelt wheat resistance to rusts, powdery mildew, leaf blotch and common bunt

A spelt diversity panel including 80 genotypes of winter spelt was tested for resistance to common bunt, leaf blotch, powdery mildew, leaf rust, stem rust and yellow rust. The reaction to diseases was investigated in field trials carried out at multiple European locations between 2013 and 2019. Resistance was assessed after artificial inoculation or natural infestation by visual scoring of symptoms. The presence of rust resistance genes was postulated using molecular markers. It was found that the presence of hulls plays a role as a passive resistance factor against common bunt. The risk of fungal diseases in spelt is not negligible. Genotypes with low disease severity in all environments as well as combined resistance to multiple diseases were determined. Across all test environments, spelt genotypes ʻSofia 1ʼ and ʻAlbinʼ showed a very low disease infestation by common bunt, ʻSofia 1ʼ, ʻRiniken Weißkornʼ, ʻZürcher Oberländer Rotkornʼ and ʻToess 5Bʼ by leaf blotch, ʻSpeltvete från Gotlandʼ by yellow rust and ʻSofia 1ʼ by leaf rust and stem rust. The influence of the breeding period was examined, and differences between modern and old varieties/landraces have not been proven. The results obtained can be used for the selection of suitable parental material for breeding spelt with improved disease resistance.