INTERCEPTION OF KARNAL BUNT IN WHEAT FROM RUSSIA

Abstract

Exchange of seed materials of various crops at international
level has become greatly helpful in increasing the crop yield. Seeds
are also the most important source of survival and long distance
dissemination of plant pathhogens and therefore, there is always
a risk of introducing exotic pests and pathogens alongwith such
imports into areas where they were not known to occur earlier.
Kamal bunt or partial bunt or Indian bunt of wheat caused by
Neovossia indica (Mitra, 1931) Mundkur, was first reported in India
from Kamal (Mitra, 1931). At present it has been occurring in many
sta~es of India. In recent years, its occurrence has been recorded
in Mexico, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Nepal (Duran, 1972;
Locke and Watson, 1955; eMI, 1974; Singh et al., 1989). It was
intercepted for the first time in India during 1970 in wheat samples
received from Mexico and in later years in seed lots imported from
Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Sweden (Lambat et al., 1983)