Mapping the quantitative field resistance to stripe rust in a hard winter wheat population ‘Overley’ × ‘Overland’

Authors: MUSTAHSAN, WARDAH - Kansas State University; Guttieri, Mary; Bowden, Robert; Garland-Campbell, Kimberly; Jordan, Katherine; Bai, Guihua; ZHANG, GUORONG - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/2023
Publication Date: 4/20/2023
Citation: Mustahsan, W., Guttieri, M.J., Bowden, R.L., Garland Campbell, K.A., Jordan, K., Bai, G., Zhang, G. 2023. Mapping the quantitative field resistance to stripe rust in a hard winter wheat population ‘Overley’ × ‘Overland’. Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20977.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20977

Interpretive Summary: Stripe rust is a devastating disease of wheat worldwide. Resistant wheat genotypes are the preferred approach for managing this disease because they reduce the cost of production for farmers by reducing requirements for fungicide application. Unfortunately, changes in the rust pathogen historically have led to a cycle in which new wheat resistance genes are sequentially overcome. However, combinations of partially effective resistance genes can provide useful resistance in the field. This study evaluated progeny of the cross between two partially resistant wheat cultivars, Overley and Overland, in seven field environments. Four genomic regions were identified that contributed to resistance, two from each parent. Breeder-friendly, high throughput molecular markers were developed so that breeders can select for these genomic regions in breeding germplasm. If breeders can retain these partially effective resistance genes in the background of new wheat cultivars with new, highly effective genes, they may be able extend the useful life of the most highly effective stripe rust resistance genes.

Technical Abstract: Stripe (yellow) rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis, is a devastating disease of wheat worldwide. In commercial production, stripe rust reduces grain quality, grain yield, and forage yield. This study was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with quantitative field resistance to stripe rust in hard winter wheat. Stripe rust infection type and severity were rated in recombinant inbred lines (RILs, n=204) derived from a cross between hard red winter wheat cultivars ‘Overley’ and ‘Overland’ in replicated field trials in the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. RILs (n=184) were genotyped with reduced representation sequencing to produce SNP markers from alignment to the ‘Chinese Spring’ reference sequence, IWGSC v2.1, and from alignment to the reference sequence for ‘Jagger’, which is a parent of Overley. Genetic linkage maps were developed independently from each set of SNP markers. QTL analysis identified genomic regions on 2AS, 2BS, 2BL, and 2DL that were associated with stripe rust resistance using multi-environment best linear unbiased predictors for stripe rust infection type and severity. Results for the two linkage maps were very similar. PCR-based SNP marker assays associated with the QTL regions were developed to efficiently identify these genomic regions in breeding populations.