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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Aberdeen, Idaho » Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313994
Title: Genome-wide association mapping for resistance to leaf and stripe rust in winter-habit hexaploid wheat landraces

Author
item KERTHO, ALBERT - North Dakota State University
item MAMIDI, SUJAN - North Dakota State University
item Bonman, John
item MCCLEAN, PHILLIP - North Dakota State University
item ACEVEDO, MARICELIS - North Dakota State University

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/11/2015
Publication Date: 6/15/2015
Citation: Kertho, A., Mamidi, S., Bonman, J.M., Mcclean, P.E., Acevedo, M. 2015. Genome-wide association mapping for resistance to leaf and stripe rust in winter-habit hexaploid wheat landraces. PLoS One. 10(6):e0129580. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129580.

Interpretive Summary: Because plant pathogens often evolve new strains that overcome the resistance bred into crop plants, new sources of genetic resistance are needed to economically manage important diseases. This study was aimed at finding potentially novel sources of resistance to two important rust diseases among winter wheat landraces. These landraces are part of the USDA-ARS National Small Grains Collection and were developed through natural and farmer selection before the advent of modern plant breeding. Using a technique known as ‘association mapping’, we identified potentially novel loci for resistance to the two diseases. Further research will determine the utility of these loci in breeding new wheat cultivars with improved disease resistance.

Technical Abstract: Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina (Pt), and stripe rust, caused by P. striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), are destructive foliar diseases of wheat worldwide. Breeding for disease resistance is the preferred strategy of managing both diseases. The continued emergence of new races of Pt and Pst requires a constant search for new sources of resistance. Here we report a genome-wide association analysis of 567 winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) landrace accessions using the Infinium iSelect 9K wheat SNP array to identify loci associated with seedling resistance to five races of Pt (MDCL, MFPS, THBL, TDBG, and TBDJ) and one race of Pst (PSTv-37) frequently found in the Northern Great Plains of the United States. Mixed linear models identified 65 and eight significant markers associated with leaf rust and stripe rust, respectively. Further, we identified 31 and three QTLs associated with resistance to Pt and Pst, respectively. Eleven QTLs, identified on chromosomes 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6D, are previously unknown for leaf rust resistance in T. aestivum.