Evaluation of annual wild grass species for leaf rust resistance

Annual wild grass species of wheat i.e. Aegilops tauschii, Ae. geniculata, Ae. neglecta, Ae. variables, Ae. speltoides and Ae. triunciallis were screened against leaf rust Puccinia recondita Roberge ex Desmaz. f.sp. tritici (Eriks. & E.henn.) D.M. Henderson. The frequency of immune and resistant accessions was fairly high in Ae. geniculata, Ae. variables and Ae. tauschii while low in the accessions of Ae. neglecta. No accession of Ae. geniculata were found to be susceptible. All the tested accessions of Ae. variables, Ae. speltoides and Ae. triunciallis were immune to the prevalent races of leaf rust in this region.