Gene Pyramiding for Achieving Enhanced Resistance to Bacterial Blight, Blast, and Sheath Blight Diseases in Rice.

Bacterial blight, blast, and sheath blight are the commonest diseases causing substantial yield loss in rice around the world. Stacking of broad-spectrum resistance genes/QTLs into popular cultivars is becoming a major objective of any disease resistance breeding program. The varieties ASD 16 and ADT 43 are the two popular, high yielding, and widely grown rice cultivars of South India, which are susceptible to bacterial blight (BB), blast, and sheath blight diseases. The present study was carried out to improve the cultivars (ASD 16 and ADT 43) through introgression of bacterial blight (xa5, xa13, and Xa21), blast (Pi54), and sheath blight (qSBR7-1, qSBR11-1, and qSBR11-2) resistance genes/QTLs by MABB (marker-assisted backcross breeding). IRBB60 (xa5, xa13, and Xa21) and Tetep (Pi54; qSBR7-1, qSBR11-1, and qSBR11-2) were used as donors to introgress BB, blast, and sheath blight resistance into the recurrent parents (ASD 16 and ADT 43). Homozygous (BC3F3 generation), three-gene bacterial blight pyramided (xa5 + xa13 + Xa21) lines were developed, and these lines were crossed with Tetep to combine blast (Pi54) and sheath blight (qSBR7-1, qSBR11-1, and qSBR11-2) resistance. In BC3F3 generation, the improved pyramided lines carrying a total of seven genes/QTLs (xa5 + xa13 + Xa21 + Pi54 + qSBR7-1 + qSBR11-1 + qSBR11-2) were selected through molecular and phenotypic assay, and these were evaluated for resistance against bacterial blight, blast, and sheath blight pathogens under greenhouse conditions. We have selected nine lines in ASD 16 background and 15 lines in ADT 43 background, exhibiting a high degree of resistance to BB, blast, and sheath blight diseases and also possessing phenotypes of recurrent parents. The improved pyramided lines are expected to be used as improved varieties or used as a potential donor in breeding programs. The present study successfully introgressed Pi54, and qSBR QTLs (qSBR7-1, qSBR11-1, and qSBR11-2) from Tetep and major effective BB-resistant genes (xa5, xa13, and Xa21) from IRBB60 into the commercial varieties for durable resistance to multiple diseases.

Improved host-plant resistance to Phytophthora rot and powdery mildew in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.).

Soybean is an important oilseed cum vegetable crop, susceptible to various biotic stresses which is attributed to recent decline in crop productivity. The emergence of virulent biotypes/strains of different plant pathogens necessitates the development of new crop varieties with enhanced host resistance mechanisms. Pyramiding of multiple disease-resistant genes is one of the strategies employed to develop durable disease-resistant cultivars to the prevailing and emerging biotypes of pathogens. The present study, reports the successful introgression of two major R-genes, including Rps2 (Phytophthora rot resistance), Rmd-c (complete-powdery mildew resistance) and effective nodulating gene (rj2) through functional Marker-Assisted Backcross Breeding (MABB) in the genetic background of well-adapted and high yielding soybean varieties, CO 3 and JS 335. We have identified several promising introgressed lines with enhanced resistance to Phytophthora rot and powdery mildew. The improved soybean lines have exhibited medium to high level of resistance against powdery mildew and Phytophthora rot as well as displayed effective nodulation capacity. Our study has proven the generation of resistant genotypes to realize the potential of MABB for achieving host plant resistance in soybean. The improved lines developed can greatly assist the soybean breeding programs in India and other soybean growing countries for evolving disease-resistant varieties.

Functional Marker Assisted Improvement of Stable Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Lines of Rice for Bacterial Blight Resistance.

Bacterial blight (BB), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae is one among the major diseases in rice, which in severe condition cause losses up to 60% in total yield. Marker assisted pyramiding of three broad spectrum BB resistance genes (xa5, xa13, and Xa21) in prominent rice varieties is the most economical and effective strategy for the management of the BB disease. We report here the pyramiding of three genes (xa5, xa13, and Xa21) in maintainer lines (CO 2B, CO 23B, and CO 24B) of three promising wild abortive cytoplasmic male sterile lines (CO 2A, CO 23A, and CO 24A) through functional markers assisted back cross breeding. IRBB60 with xa5, xa13, and Xa21 genes is used as a donor parent. BC2F1 and BC2F2 generations from a cross of CO 2B, CO 23B, and CO 24B with IRBB60 were evaluated for bacterial blight and non-fertility restoration. In BC2F1, plants with all three resistance genes (xa5, xa13, and Xa21) and high parent genome recovery was identified. In BC2F2, plants with all resistance genes and without fertility restorer (Rf3 and Rf4) were selected. Based on agronomic traits, BB resistance and maintenance of sterility, two plants each in CO 2B × IRBB60, CO 24B × IRBB60 and one plant in CO 23B × IRBB60 combinations were identified. The identified lines were crossed with respective male sterile lines for conversion of improved B line into CMS line through back-crossing, in addition to selfing. The plants with high recurrent genome and phenotypically similar to parental lines and sterile are being used for the hybrid rice development program. Currently, using these lines (improved CMS line), test crosses were made to develop new rice hybrids. Hybrids combinations viz., CO 23A × AD08009R and CO 24A × IET20898R were found to be stable at different locations with high yield. The R line used in this study has been introgressed with xa5, xa13, and Xa21 genes in a separate breeding program. These new hybrids with resistance against bacterial blight will increase the crop production at BB environment.