'Plant Breeding: Sustaining the Future' Abstracts of the XVIth EUCARPIA Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland, 10-14 September 2001 RESISTANCE TO SUNN PEST (Eurigaster integriceps Put.) IN ADVANCED LINES OF DURUM WHEAT (Triticum turgidum) V. MOHAMMADI, T. NAJAFI  Dept. of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, The University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Sunn pest (Eurygaster integriceps Put.) is one of the most critical pests of wheat in Iran and neighbouring countries. Applying genetically resistant varieties is of great importance in the integrated pest management (IPM). Resistance to sunn was studied in 21 advanced lines of durum wheat. The experimental design was RCBD with 3 replications, releasing nymphs 3 of sunn into the nets placed on ears. Analysis of variance indicated that the lines were not significantly different in their grain injury percent and SDS sedimentation. But 1000 Kernel weight and ear density were significant, Nymph's feeding did not decrease SDS sediment, but unexpectedly increased kernel weight. Grain injury was correlated adversely to SDS sediment and directly to kernel weight. The results suggested that durum wheat is more resistant to sunn than bread wheat.