Field and Greenhouse Evaluations of Pearl Millet for Partial Resistance to Puccinia substriata var. indica . J. P WILSON, USDA-ARS Forage and Turf Research Unit, University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton 31793. Plant Dis. 78:1202-1205. Accepted for publication 21 September 1994. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1994. DOI: 10.1094/PD-78-1202.

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) inbreds Tift 383, 700481-21-8, and ICMP 501 were evaluated for partial rust resistance in comparison to the susceptible inbred Tift 23DB. In field trials, area under the disease progress curves of the three inbreds were less than that of Tift 23DB when disease pressure was severe. Uredinium dimensions on seedlings 10 days after inoculation were smaller for the three inbreds than for Tift 23DB. Seedlings exhibited susceptible infection types when inoculated with four single-uredinium isolates except for a moderately resistant infection type 2 when ICMP 501 was inoculated with isolate PS89-775. Whole-plant latent periods of the three inbreds were longer than that of Tift 23DB when inoculated with a bulk rust collection, but longer only for ICMP 501 when inoculated with isolate PS92-1. No inbred was consistently more resistant than Tift 23DB across all evaluations. Tift 383, 700481-21-8, and ICMP 501 express low to moderate levels of partial resistance, which may be more consistent in expression and useful if they were combined.