Location: Cereal Disease Lab
Project Number: 5062-21220-025-004-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2019
End Date: Aug 31, 2024
Objective:
The overall objective of the project is to enhance germplasm and characterize genetic resources for improved stem rust resistance in wheat. The objective will be achieved through investigations on 1) marker-assisted backcrossing of stem rust resistance gene combinations into adapted wheat cultivars and breeding lines, 2) purification, increase, and characterization of stem rust pathogen isolates including their life cycle on alternate host species, and 3) mapping and molecular characterization of wheat stem rust resistance genes.
Approach:
Stem rust resistance genes will be backcrossed into adapted cultivars and advanced breeding lines. DNA will be extracted and genotyped, and wheat lines with backcrossed genes will be increased. Stem rust pathogen isolates will be characterized for their response to differential host lines, purified, increased, and stored. Wheat stem rust resistance genes effective against UG99 will be identified, mapped, and characterized. This work will include the generation of segregating populations, the assessment of wheat response to stem rust, molecular characterization of wheat DNA associated with stem rust resistance, and field assessment of segregating populations in the field.
