Occurrence of the rust resistance gene Lr37 from Aegilops ventricosa in Argentine cultivars of wheat

Abstract

Leaf rust of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) caused by the fungus Puccinia triticina (formerly P. recondita f. sp. tritici), is one of the most important foliar diseases of this crop. Lr37 rust resistance gene, which confers resistance in wheat against leaf rust, was introgressed into cultivated wheat from Aegilops ventricosa Tausch. Rust races with virulence to Lr37 have been identified in different countries, but it still provides resistance to a wide range of races and is useful in combination with other resistance genes. There are no reports about the presence, frequency and origin of Lr37 in Argentinean wheat cultivars. In this work, we analyzed 88 registered Argentinean wheat cultivars developed by different breeding companies and institutions during the last 15 years by means of a molecular marker which is diagnostic of the 2NS-2AS translocation which carries Lr37. Only 4 cultivars showed the amplification product associated with this chromosome fragment. These four cultivars which carry the translocated 2NS-2AS chromosome were registered by the same breeding company during the last seven years and all of them have European germplasm in their genealogy. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of the presence of Lr37 in registered South American cultivars.