Undescribed wheat gene for partial leaf rust and stripe rust resistance from Thatcher derivatives RL6058 and 90RN2491 carrying Lr34

Inheritance of partial leaf rust and stripe rust resistance of a Thatcher wheat 90RN2491, earlier reported to carry two doses of the gene pair Lr34-Yr18 and the reference line RL6058 (6*Thatcher/P158548) for the Lr34-Yr18 gene pair was studied against predominant and highly virulent Indian races. Thatcher derivatives 90RN2491 and RL6058 were intercrossed as well as crossed with the leaf rust and stripe rust susceptible Indian cultivar WL711. The F-1, F-2 and F-3 generations from these crosses were assessed for rust severity against leaf rust race 77-5 and stripe rust race 46S 119. The F-2 and F-3 generations from the crosses of RL6058 and 90RN2491 with WL711, segregated 15 resistant : 1 Susceptible (F-2) and 7 homozygous resistant : 8 segregating : 1 homozygous susceptible (F-3) ratios, respectively, both for leaf rust and stripe rust severity. Therefore, partial resistance against each of the leaf rust and stripe rust races in both RL6058 and 90RN2491 is ascribed to two independently inherited dominant genes. One of the two genes for leaf rust and stripe rust resistance in 90RN2491 and RL6058 is Lr34 and the linked gene Yr18, respectively. The second leaf rust resistance gene in both the Thatcher lines segregated independently of stripe rust resistance. Therefore, it is not Lr34 and it remains unidentified.