EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT GERMPLASM OF BRASSICA JUNCEA AGAINST OROBANCHE AEGYPTIACA

Among the major weed groups that cause huge economic losses to important cropping systems, Orobanche species are greatly devastating. Egyptian broomrape (Orobanche aegyptiaca) is a parasitic weed causing major yield loss in many field and vegetable crops and is a serious threat to Indian mustard. In this study, severalgenotypes of Indian mustard were screened in order to identify resistant genotypes against O. aegyptiaca. In the greenhouse conditions, genotypes were different in the degree of susceptibility to Broomrape. Attachment number, emergence number, and dry matter of parasitic broomrape were affected by biomass of genotype. A significant impact of the parasitism onto the dry weight of all infected mustard genotype with variable degree was observed. Broomrape attachment was observed in all the cultivated genotypes with Pusa mustard 24 being the most susceptible with the greatest number of emerged Orobanche shoots. In contrast, no emergence shoots were observed in four out of the fifteen genotype viz., Pusa Jaikisan, Pusa bold, Pusa Vijay and Pusa mustard 26 which have less attachment number and emergence number. These genotype appear to be interesting for our objectives.