Harnessing genetic diversity in wheat and its wild relatives for disease resistance

Brande B. H. Wulff

** John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.

brande.wulff@jic.ac.uk

Abstract

Genetic diversity for disease resistance has been eroded in bread wheat through polyploidisation, domestication and breeding. We have developed sequence-configured panels of wheat and wild progenitors for high-throughput identification of disease resistance genes by association mapping. Cloned resistance genes can speed up resistance breeding through generation of GM stacks or by conventional marker-assisted selection in combination with speed breeding. We propose an internationally coordinated effort to generate a wheat resistance gene atlas to facilitate more judicious deployment of resistance genes in GM and conventional breeding programmes.

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Keywords: Wheat, wild wheat, disease resistance, GWAS, GM, speed breeding