Seedling resistances to stem rust, leaf rust and stripe rust were evaluated in the 37th International Triticale Screening Nursery, distributed by the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in 2005. In stem rust tests, 12 and 69 of a total of 81 entries were postulated to carry Sr27 and SrSatu, respectively. When compared with previous studies of CIMMYT triticale nurseries distributed from 1980 to 1986 and 1991 to 1993, the results suggest a lack of expansion in the diversity of stem rust resistance. A total of 62 of 64 entries were resistant to five leaf rust pathotypes. In stripe rust tests, ~93% of the lines were postulated to carry Yr9 alone or in combination with other genes. The absence of Lr26 in these entries indicated that Yr9 and Lr26 are not genetically associated in triticale. A high proportion of nursery entries (63%) were postulated to carry an uncharacterised gene, YrJackie. The 13 lines resistant to stripe rust and the 62 entries resistant to leaf rust represent potentially useful sources of seedling resistance in developing new triticale cultivars. Field rust tests are needed to verify if seedling susceptible entries also carry adult plant resistance.
