Diseases on wheat and triticale under the growing conditions of Lubumbashi (Congo RD)

The food production in Katanga is inadequate and causes food insecurity for more than 400.000 people. Nowadays the Katanga province relies for more than 75 % on imported wheat and wheat flour from neighbouring countries. The absence of adapted germplasm is one of the mean reasons for the low production levels of small grains and as consequence the disinteresting of farmers for producing wheat. To select well adapted genotypes a screening test with wheat (T. aestivum) and triticale (x Triticosecale Wittm.) was establish during the rainy season of 2006-2007 at the farm Kasapa (25 km outside Lubumbashi). Glume blotch (S. nodorum teleomorph: Leptosphaeria nodorum) was the most dominant disease during the rainy season 2006 - 2007. Glume blotch could be detected on leaves and ears of wheat as well as of triticale. Fusarium head blight (Fusarium sp. teleomorph: Gibberella sp.) was also present but to a less extend. Rust or mildew fungus were not recorded on any genotype. The disease pressure made it possible to screen more disease tolerant genotypes of wheat and triticale. The differences were most clear for ear glume blotch but especially on triticale differences between FHB tolerant and susceptible genotypes could be made. For triticale and wheat respectively 25 and 32 % of the genotypes were put in the breeding pole to select new varieties.