Resistance to Stem Rust Race Ug99 in the Canadian Spring Wheat Cultivar ‘Peace’

Stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, is a highly destructive fungal disease of wheat. This pathogen has been effectively controlled in western Canada through resistance since the 1950s. In 1999, a new highly virulent race of stem rust was identified in Uganda. The new strain, named “Ug99”, was given the North American race designation TTKSK. In situ screening has demonstrated that approximately 75% of Canadian wheat cultivars are susceptible to this new race of stem rust. Fortunately, two cultivars, Peace and AC Cadillac, were highly resistant to Ug99. A doubled haploid population was generated from the cross: RL6071/Peace, where RL6071 was the stem rust susceptible parent. In 2008, 189 DH lines from this population were evaluated for response to Ug99 in Kenya. RL6071 and Peace were rated: 80 S and 5 R, respectively. Disease ratings of the DH lines, ranged from 80 S to 1 R. Mendelian evaluation of the stem rust scores indicated a two-gene model (X2=5.51; 0.25<P<0.10; d.f.=3) of inheritance. Peace has the positive allele for the diagnostic Lr34 DNA marker (csLVMS1) published by Spielmeyer et al. (2008). It is believed that Peace carries Lr34 and that this gene may be one of the genes responsible for Ug99 resistance in this cultivar. Molecular mapping of the Ug99 resistance in cultivar Peace is underway.