Genetic Diversity of Promising Russian and Kazakh Accessions of Soft Spring Wheat for Resistance to Leaf and Yellow Rusts

• Published in: Russian agricultural sciences 2024-06, Vol.50 (3), p.265-272
• Main Authors: Gultyaeva, E. I., Shaydayuk, E. L., Veselova, V. V., Levitin, M. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Crop Production; genetic variation; genotyping; Kazakhstan; leaf rust; leaves; Life Sciences; pathogens; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Protection and Biotechnology; Russia; seedlings; spring wheat; stripe rust; virulence
• ISSN: 1068-3674; 1934-8037
• DOI: 10.3103/S1068367424700228

The paper reports the research performed to characterize resistance to leaf and yellow rusts in promising soft spring wheat accessions and to evaluate their diversity for the Lr and Yr resistance genes to identify valuable genotypes. The material for the study included 36 new varieties and lines (23 from Russia and 13 from Kazakhstan). Seedling resistance was evaluated under laboratory conditions using single pustule isolates and populations with different virulence. Resistance to leaf rust in the seedling stage was demonstrated by 42% of accessions. Using gene-specific PCR markers, 20 Lr genes were postulated. Isogenic Thatcher lines bearing the genes under study served as positive controls. The authors identified in the spring wheat samples highly efficient in Russia and Kazakhstan genes Lr24 (three accessions) and LrAgi2 (three accessions ); genes Lr9 (four accessions) and Lr19 (six accessions), which have partially lost their efficiency; genes Lr1 (seven accessions), Lr3 (thirteen accessions), Lr10 (four accessions), Lr26 (12 accessions), and Lr34 (four accessions) with low efficiency; and the wheat–rye translocation 1AL.1RS (four accessions) containing leaf, stem, and yellow rust resistance genes. The resistant samples carried two or more Lr genes each. Phytopathological tests did not reveal any accessions that would be highly resistant to all used regional populations of the yellow rust pathogen. Genotyping with molecular markers did not reveal accessions containing highly efficient Yr5 , Yr10 , Yr15 , Yr17 , and Yr24 genes. Ineffective genes Yr9 and Yr18 were identified in 30 and 8% of lines, respectively. The results of the analysis indicate success in breeding for resistance to leaf rust and the need for advanced breeding for resistance to yellow rust using effective donors.