Usefulness of gene pg10 as a source of stem rust resistance in oat breeding

ABSTRACT Infection types produced by Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae on plants of Avena sativa with the stem rust resistance gene Pg10 are characterized by moderate-sized uredinia surrounded by an area of chlorosis and a larger variable zone of dark brown necrosis. This study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of gene Pg10 as a source of resistance to stem rust and to determine the interactions of this gene with other common Pg genes. A derived Pg10 line was tested with 58 distinct pathotypes of P. graminis f. sp. avenae and was crossed to substituted single-gene lines carrying the resistance gene Pg1, Pg2, Pg3, Pg4, Pg8, Pg9, Pg13, Pg15, Pg16, or Pga. The Pg10 line showed moderate resistance to all 58 patho-types, and there was no indication of specificity in virulence by any isolate. Gene Pg10 was inherited independently of the other Pg genes and had a complementary effect on the expression of resistance by these genes. An effective level of resistance conferred by Pg10 was demonstrated in a field nursery artificially inoculated with P. graminis f. sp. avenae. It was concluded that Pg10 is a potentially useful source of stem rust resistance in oat breeding, with its main attributes being an apparent broad base of resistance, ease of combining with other Pg genes, and complementary effects on the expression of other Pg genes.