Inheritance of resistance to leaf rust in a wheat-rye recombinant ‘Selection 212’

Inheritance of resistance to four pathotypes (77-1, 77-3, 77-4 and 77-5) in Selection 212, a 42 chromosome wheat line developed through homoeologous recombination between wheat and rye chromosomes using monosomic 5B of variety Chinese Spring was studied. A recessive seedling resistance gene effective against each pathotype has been determined based on segregation pattern observed in F₂, F₃, the BC₁F₁ and BC₁F₂ generations of the crosses of Selection 212 with two susceptible lines Agra Local and Chinese Spring. Joint segregation on the F₃ and the BC₁F₂ progenies from the crosses revealed that the same resistance gene is controlling resistance to all the four pathotypes. The adult plant tests suggested the presence of an additional adult plant resistance gene which could have been derived from Chinese Spring, one of the parent of Selection 212.