284 Journal of Agriculture. [10 May, 1910^ 



11. —RUST AND SMUT RESISTANCE IN WHEAT AND SMUT 

 EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS AND MAIZE. 



D. McAlfhie, Vegetable Pathologist. 



The experiments carried out in connection with the Wheat Improvement 

 Committee relate to Rust and Smut resistance and have been continued and' 

 extended during the past season. But experiments with O.at and Maize 

 Smut have also yielded important results. 



In 1908, Smut was found on Wild Oats for the first time in Australia 

 and it was important to determine if the smut on the wild and tame oat 

 were mutually infective. Seed of the wild oat was taken and infected' 

 with smut from both the wild and the tame oat, and the result was that 

 6 out of 19 plants were smutted in the former case and 4 out of 19 plants 

 in the latter, or 31 and 21 per cent, respectively. Seed oif the tame 

 oat was infected with smut of the wild oat {Ustilago avenos), and one out 

 of 23 plants was smutted or over 4 per cent. The same smut therefore 

 occurs on both the tame and wild oat, although it is exceedinglv rare on' 

 the latter. 



The mode of infection of the smut affecting maize in Victoria was- 

 not known, and experiments were ca.rried out to determine it and treatment 

 of the seed was tried at the same time. A special article is given in this. 

 Journal stating how infection occurs and the best means of preventing it. 



In connection with wheat, the main objective is to produce a variety 

 which, while fulfilling all the conditions usually required by the fanner, 

 will have in addition the important quality of rust-,resistance. For this 

 purpose it is necessary in crossing to have one of the parents at least 

 possessed of this property, and not only different varieties but different 

 species of wheat are being tested for this purpose. 



Rust Resistance. 



Fox these experiments 21 varieties of wheat were used and the different 

 s}jecies or sub-species of Trituum. Samples of all the known cultivated' 

 species and sub-species were obtained from Germany, with the exceolion 

 of Club-head or T. compactum which had been originally obtained from 

 Biffen by Sutton and a ^x)rtion of the seed forwarded to me. The seed 

 from Germanv varied so much in age, that in some cases verv few grains- 

 germinated. However, fresh specimens to l)e tested during the forth- 

 coming season have been kindly supplied by Professor Patrick Wright of 

 the West of Scotland Agricultural College. The classification by Hackel. 

 which is now generally followed, will show the relation of the different- 

 cultivated forms. He recognises three distinct species of Tritirum \'iz-, 

 7'. monococctim, T. sativum, and T . -polonicum.. Then 7'. sativum i.v 

 further subdivided as shown in the following table : — 



711011 crocrjnn L. , Einkorn or One-grained Wlieat 

 ' dirorciiin Sclirank. Eminer. 

 sjy/fa L., Spelt 

 rp . . ; -satirinn, I^am, J (' vidgarc Vill., Common Wheat 



Jriticum ..,- ^^^^^^^ I po„j^„,,,,,„, Host, Club or Dwarf Wheat 



j tni-ijidnm L., Poulard or Rivet \\ heat 

 ' durum Desf. , Durum or Hard Wheat 

 liiiloiih-uiii L , PolLsli Wlieat 



