Identification of carriers of Puccinia striiformis resistance genes in the population of recombinant inbred wheat lines

Abstract

Stripe rust (yellow rust) caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, one of the most dangerous diseases of wheat. Marker assisted selection methods make it possible to accelerate the selection of resistance gene donors to improve breeding material through their introduction into hybridization programs.  The goal of this study was to determine the presence/absence of yellow rust resistance genes in wheat recombinant inbred lines Almaly/Avocet (S) and to evaluate their response to Pst. Evaluation of seedling resistance to Pst allowed us to select 2 lines simultaneously resistant to races 111Е231 and 7E63. Race 7E63 was avirulent to most samples, and 111Е231 was highly virulent. All the studied lines demonstrated a resistant and moderately resistant reaction to the causative agent of yellow rust at the adult plant stage (R-MR). Molecular screening revealed the presence of a marker allele associated with the Yr18/Lr34 gene complex in 5 RIL. The frequency of resistant genotypes inheriting the Yr18 gene was 22.7%. The results can be used in MAS wheat breeding programs to increase resistance to yellow rust of wheat.