Evaluation and identification of stem rust resistance genesSr2,Sr24,Sr25,Sr26,Sr31andSr38in wheat lines from Gansu Province in China

Abstract

Wheat stem rust, caused byPuccinia granimisf. sp.tritici, severely affects wheat production, but it has been effectively controlled in China since the 1970s. However, the appearance and spread of wheat stem rust races Ug99 (TTKSK, virulence toSr31), TKTTF (virulence toSrTmp) and TTTTF (virulence to the cultivars carryingSr9eandSr13) have received attention. It is important to clarify the effectiveness of resistance genes in a timely manner, especially for the purpose of using new resistance genes in wheat cultivars for durable-resistance. However, little is known about the stem rust resistance genes present in widely used wheat cultivars from Gansu. This study aimed to determine the resistance level at the seedling stage of the main wheat cultivars in Gansu Province. A secondary objective was to assess the prevalence ofSr2,Sr24,Sr25,Sr26,Sr31, andSr38using molecular markers. The results of the present study indicated that 38 (50.7%) wheat varieties displayed resistance to all the tested races ofPuccinia graminisf. sp.tritici.The molecular marker analysis showed that 13 out of 75 major wheat cultivars likely carriedSr2; 25 wheat cultivars likely carriedSr31; and nine wheat cultivars likely carriedSr38. No cultivar was found to haveSr25andSr26, as expected. Surprisingly, no wheat cultivars carriedSr24. The wheat lines with known stem rust resistance genes could be used as donor parent for further breeding programs.