Management of Wheat Stripe Rust ( Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici ) Through Host Resistance and Fungicide Application Time in Northwestern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted during the 2019 main cropping season at Aneded and Banja districts in northwestern Ethiopia to evaluate the effects of host resistance and fungicide application timing on stripe rust caused by ( Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici ) and grain yield of bread wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment comprised three wheat varieties and five fungicide (epoxiconazole + thiophanate‐methyl) application timings—(7, 14, 21 and 28 days after symptom occurrence) and an untreated control, arranged in a factorial randomised complete block design with three replications. Significant ( p ≤ 0.01) differences were observed among treatments for both disease and yield parameters. The greatest disease reduction and yield improvement were achieved when the resistant variety Wane was combined with fungicide application at 7 days after symptom occurrence. The findings demonstrate that integrating resistant wheat varieties with timely fungicide application effectively manages stripe rust and minimises yield losses. A cost–benefit analysis further revealed that the combination of resistant or moderately resistant varieties with a fungicide applied 7 days after symptom appearance provided the highest net benefit. Therefore, the use of resistant varieties in combination with appropriately timed fungicide application is recommended to achieve sustainable stripe rust management and maintain high wheat productivity in northwestern Ethiopia.