Fourth annual progress report: Year 2003. Evaluation of cropping systems on the development of wheat pathogens and research for better resistance to foliar blights. The non-specific foliar wheat pathogens. Phase II

This report presents the results of trials and research conducted with the support of DGCD during the fourth year of this co1laborative project between CIMMYT South Asia and UCL (Université catholique de Louvain). The goal ofthe project is to enhance the control offoliar blights ofwheat through strengthened research partnerships with National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and sma1l farmers in South Asia. The project supports applied research andjoint activities conducted by CIMMYT and NARS whereas basic research is conducted in Belgium as part of a contract between CIMMYT and UCL. With the research progress and the fourth year ofthe project, more data are being summarized and analyzed. As a result, a great deal of efforts was undertaken during 2003 to submit several publication proposals to referee joumals. Since this is time consuming and the work contains an advanced level of analysis ref1ecting the progresses made through the project, this fourth report includes different sections, each one around a defined research topic intended to be published. A similar approach was fo1lowed to present the work conducted in 2003 in South Asia and in Belgium. In February-March 2003, Mr. Mercado spent one month in Nepal to conduct field observations at IAAS's Rampur experimental farmin the tarai lowland. Ms. D. Vromman, a student from UCL, conducted part ofherM.Sc. thesis at the same location under the guidance ofDr. E. Duvei1ler and Dr. R.C. Sharma. This experience was very positive and her work was completed in Sept. 2003. Also, two Nepali students completed their M.Sc. thésis at IAAS in the same year (Yub Raj Kandel and Bijaya Bijukachhe); an abstract oftheir work is given hereafter in the report (section 1 and 2). We feel that this type of co1laboration and support not only contributes to training and expected research outputs but is a key component of capacity building in Nepal. It offers a great potential toward benefiting the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) in a near future in case they are hired by the system. The possibility of collaborating with CIMMYT is particularly attractive to Nepali students. Mr. Diraj Gautam completed the first year of his field research work related to the association between foliar blight and root health. At the end of2003, three other Nepali students started a M.Sc. thesis program at IAAS with support ofthe project: R.B. Neupane, s. Gurupg and A. Neupane. Their work is related to genetics ofresistance, the relationship be'LWeen crop growth stage and disease severity , and epidemiological aspects. Similarly, arrangements were made to receive a new Belgium student in early 2004 to fo1low-up with the work done by D. Vrornman. Foliar blight research in South Asia is catalyzed by CIMMYT South Asia and is conducted through National Programs. The project supports directly local scientists. Several sma1l grant proposals were approved in 2003 to cover operational costs of specific trials or research conducted in farmers' fields and on station by NARC scientists. As in former years, the project backstopped al1 plant pathology aspects associated with the mainstream wheat breeding programs. It included evaluating disease resistance in wheat germplasm tested in the region through international and regional nurseries targeted for the Eastern Gangetic plains, in particular the Helminthosporium Monitoring Nursery (HMN), EGPSN and EGPYT . Dr. E. Duveil1er continued serving as head ofCIMMYT South Asia Regional Office (SARO) administration. His responsibility consists in supervising daily managerial tasks by CIMMYT national support staff, local employment contracts, financial operations of projects under CIMMYT South Asia, audit reports and other col1aborative projects affiliated to CIMMYT.