Evaluation of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) advanced breeding lines for resistance to cercospora leaf spots and rust diseases in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cercospora leaf spots and rust diseases are among the biotic factors that cause yield reduction in groundnut. However, screening groundnut breeding lines that are tolerant to these diseases and having higher yield potentials would help farmers and breeders to make the right choice for cultivation or for further improvement. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate 18 groundnuts advanced breeding lines and 2 improved/local varieties against these diseases, during July-October 2016 rainy season in a field designated as endemic to Cercospora leaf spots and rust diseases, at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Research Farm at Minjibir, Kano, Nigeria. Significant differences (p<0.01) were observed in all the traits studied (viz., days to 50% flowering, normalised difference vegetation index, pod yield (Kg/ha), fodder yield (Kg/ha), 100 seed weight (g), disease incidence (%) and disease severity) except chlorophyll content. The top nine (9) high yielding breeding lines (ICGV's-IS 13980, 07947, 07828, 09011, ICGX-IS's 11003, 11057, 13011, ICGV-SM 07539 and ICG 5891) were all resistant to early leaf spot, moderately resistant to late leaf spot and rust except ICGV's-IS 07828, 09011 and ICGX-IS 13011 which were susceptible to rust.

Keywords: Cercospora, Rust, Groundnut, Resistance, Yield