Genetic analysis of stripe rust resistance in a set of European winter wheat genotypes

Stripe rust disease caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici is of much importance in North-Western Plain Zone of India (NWPZ) since the resistance breakdown of the widely grown wheat cultivar PBW 343. With the rapid emergence and spread of aggressive rust pathogens, robust and durable resistant crop cultivar development becomes the urgent need for any wheat breeding program to sustain. In order to identify new stripe rust resistance sources, a panel of European winter wheat germplasm screened against prevalent pathotypes of stripe rust pathogens of NWPZ under artificial epiphytotic conditions. Crosses were attempted between fourteen selected resistant European winter wheat genotypes and four highly susceptible spring wheat varieties. Backcross populations were developed and screened for stripe rust reaction. Genetic analysis was performed in BC1F2 populations and confirmed with single plant derived BC1F3 and BC1F4 progenies. Among fourteen European parents used for introgressing stripe rust resistance, two lines namely Acienda and Aubusson showed single dominant gene, four lines viz. Aciento, Bagatelle_007, Brilliant and Nuage displayed digenic segregation ratio. Overall genetic analysis gave indication of the major genes for stripe rust resistance.