Genetic control of resistance to the powdery mildew pathogen (Blumeria graminis DC.) in soft spring wheat

Abstract

The resistance of soft spring wheat collection samples from the National Genebank of Plants of Ukraine to powdery mildew was  studied on provocative background in the Eastern forest-steppe ofUkraine.

Purpose. To identify sources of resistance to the local population of the pathogen Blumeria graminis (DC.) Speer. in the soft spring wheat gene pool, to establish nature of inheritance of resistance to the powdery mildew pathogen in hybrids obtained by crossing these sources with susceptible varieties.

Material and Methods. The field experiments were conducted in scientific crop rotation at the Plant Production Institute nd. a V.Ya. Yuryev of NAAS during 2008-2013. Over this period  214 soft spring wheat samples from the National Genebank of Plants of Ukraine, originating from different countries, were studied. They included 18 samples from Ukraine, 56  -from Russia, 5 – from Belarus, 3  - from Poland,2 - from Finland, 4 - from Germany, 2  - from Austria, 15 - from the USA, 18 - from Canada, 2 - from India, 11 - from Kazakhstan , 22 - from Syria, 33 - from Mexico, 10 - from Brazil, and by 1 sample from Sweden, the Czech Republic, the former Yugoslavia, Serbia, China, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Kenya, Morocco, Uruguay, Australia, as well as 2 samples of unknown origin.

Study Results. In 2008-2010 on provocative background 6 sources of resistance (Lulana, Yevdokіya fromUkraine; Simbirtsid, Ekada 70 fromRussia; Korinta fromBelarus; Aletch fromGermany ) to the local population of the powdery mildew pathogen were identified. Mono -, di - and trigenic control of stability in these sources was demonstrated by hybridological analysis.

Conclusions. The stable effects of resistance to Blumeria graminis and fixing them in the progeny allow recommending the wheat variety Simbirtsid for use in breeding programs.