Sources of resistance in bread wheat to Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) in Syria identified using the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS)

Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov), is an important pest of wheat and barley in North America, Africa and the Middle East. Host plant resistance is the most economical and practical means of controlling this insect. Field and greenhouse screening in Syria of bread wheat lines from the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas' (ICARDA) gene bank, using the Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS), identified 12 lines resistant to D. noxia. These sources of resistance will be used to develop germplasm resistant to D. noxia for the highland areas of North Africa, and West and Central Asia, where this insect causes economic damage. This study also showed the relevance of the FIGS approach in better targeting accessions held in gene banks for valuable traits. © 2010 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.