Wheat Leaf Rust in North Dakota

Wheat leaf rust nurseries were planted at five locations throughout the state of North Dakota in order to determine the resistance of hard red spring wheat and durum cultivars to the natural Puccinia recondita tricit population. Cultivars were evaluated for leaf rust severity and reaction type. The severity and reaction type data were combined in order to obtain a coefficient of infection value for each cultivar. Growers' fields were surveyed and evaluated for leaf rust occurrence. Many of the other commercially available hard red spring wheat had susceptible reaction types with low severity. All durum cultivars tested should provide adequate reaction types with low severity. Most commercially available winter wheat were susceptible to leaf rust