Contribution of international nurseries for selection of rust resistant wheat varieties in Tajikistan

Wheat as a staple food crop in Tajikistan plays a crucial role for food security of population. However its production is threatened by number of limiting factors, and among them wheat rusts are most devastating disease.
Close collaboration of local scientists and breeders was established with International Agricultural Research Centers, including CIMMYT and ICARDA since early 2000. In the result, a number of high yielding and rust resistant varieties were released in Tajikistan that occupy presently about 40% of total wheat area.
Among the major breeding objectives selection of varieties with high resistance to wheat rusts, especially yellow rust considered as a priority task. The following new varieties originated from CIMMYT international nurseries were released in the country in past years, which bear high resistance to yellow rust: Sarvar (CHEN\AEGILOPS SQUARROSA (TAUS0//BCN/3/BAV92), Yusufi (SOROCA), Vahdat (VORONA SN079), Isfara (SW89.5181/KAUZ), Fayzbaksh (TAM200.KAUZ) and Shokiri (SHARK/F4105W2.1).
During the last three years eight new varieties were submitted for official testing, and two of them already are released in 2017 (Murodi and Durakhshon) and remaining ones are under official testing. The varieties and their origin are followings: Murodi (CHEN/AE.SQ//WEAVER/3/SSERI1), Durakhshon (ATTILA/3*BCN*2//BAV92), Kamol (PYN/BAU//LAGOS-19/3/ID800994.W/VEE), Zarnisor (CROC_1/AE.SQUARROSA(205)//BORL95/3/2*MILAN), Ganj (NAC/TH.AC//3*PVN/3/MIRLO/BUC/4/2*PASTOR), Mehrgon (SAAR/WAXWING), Sipar (FRET 2*2/4/SNI/TRAP #1/3/KAUZ*2/TRAP//KAUZ/5) and Lochin (PJN/BOW//OPATA*2/3/CROC_1/AE.SQ.(224)).