Identification and Utilization of

host-plant resistance has been central to the strategy of plant disease cont ro l, whose three major components arc ident i f icat ion, u t i l i za t ion, and deployment of resistance. D u r i n g the past 10 years, more than 10 700 entries f rom di f ferent sources were screened using a field-screening technique developed at I C R I S A T Center. Sources of smut resistance in germplasm representing diverse ecogeographical zones have been ident i f ied. Fo l l ow ing pedigree breeding and ar t i f ic ia l screening methods, many smut-resistant lines were selected, of wh ich a few were intermated to generate genetical ly more diverse and agronomica l ly super ior l ines. Several l ines w i t h stable resistance have been ident i f ied, and six of these l ines have been not i f ied for use in resistance breeding programs. Signi f icant progress has been made in the use of these smut-resistant source lines in breeding programs to develop open-pol l inated variet ies, male-steri le l ines, and hybr ids. Several p romis ing varieties have been produced so far. Th i s Bu l le t in, should be useful to breeders and pathologists involved in the genetic improvement of pearl mi l le t. I t is a imed at he lp ing them achieve sustained increase in product iv i ty by reducing grain y ie ld losses f rom smut in pearl mi l le t. Smal l quantit ies of seed of smut-resistant l ines, descr ibed i