Isolation and characterization of yellow rust resistant mutants in wheat.

Abstract Stripe rust, also known as yellow rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a major threat to wheat production leading to yield losses up to 84%. Due to climate change, new races of the yellow rust pathogen are appearing for which no durable source of resistance has been observed in the present high-yielding varieties. A mutation breeding programme was initiated in two popular varieties, namely PBW343 and HD2967, using gamma-ray and electron beam irradiation. Gamma-ray doses of 250, 300 and 350 Gy and electron beam doses of 150, 200 and 250 Gy were used for seed irradiation. The M2 population was screened in the field from seedling to adult plant stage by spraying a mixture of urediniospores of Pst pathotypes. Disease severity was recorded as the percentage of leaf area covered by the rust pathogen following a modified Cobb's scale. A total of 52 putative yellow rust resistant mutants in HD2967 and 63 in PBW343 were isolated. The number of mutants was higher in the electron beam irradiated population compared with gamma-rays. The absence of sporulation and spore production of the rust pathogen on the mutants indicated resistance. Mutant plants showing seedling resistance also showed resistance at adult plant stage. Seed yield and its contributing characters were better in the mutants compared with the parents. These rust resistant mutants could be novel sources of stripe rust or yellow rust resistance. The plant-to-row progenies of these mutants were confirmed and characterized in the M3 generation.