Fungal and Bacterial Diseases of Wheat

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the main staple crop and primary source of starch and energy in human diet. It is grown in over 120 countries in the world. However, global wheat production is adversely affected by biotic stress factors including fungal and bacterial diseases. In the presence of sufficient inoculum, favorable environmental conditions, and susceptible cultivar, the causal agents of wheat diseases can cause yield losses up to 100% and epidemics in wheat-growing areas. Therefore, establishing the most efficient and sustainable management practices against these diseases is of prime importance. In this context, host resistance is the most suitable approach to control the diseases of wheat. In this chapter, diseases causing economically significant damage to wheat are considered and categorized as fungal and bacterial. The diseases are presented based on the latest studies and their descriptive symptoms on plant tissues.