Molecular and Cytogenetic Characterization of Novel Wheat-Rye T2AS.2RL Translocation Lines with Resistance to Powdery...

Stripe rust and powdery mildew are serious diseases that significantly reduce wheat yield. Distant hybridization between wheat and its related species to develop disease-resistant translocation lines is an effective method for enhancing wheat's disease resistance. However, many newly developed disease-resistant wheat-related species translocation lines are difficult to use in wheat breeding because of their poor agronomic traits. Therefore, developing translocation lines that are resistant to diseases and have good agronomic traits is key for further use in wheat breeding programs. In this study, five novel T2AS.2RL translocation lines were developed from a cross between a high-yield wheat cultivar, CN25, and a Chinese rye landrace, Qinling. The results of cytogenetics and molecular analyses indicated that all five lines contained a pair of T2AS.2RL translocation chromosomes. These T2AS.2RL lines were highly resistant to stripe rust and powdery mildew. Genetic analysis indicated that resistance to stripe rust and powdery mildew was conferred by the 2RL chromosome arms derived from Qinling. In addition, compared with their high-yielding wheat parent CN25, these translocation lines presented good agronomic traits and no significant difference in yield. These results indicate that these new T2AS.2RL lines have great potential for use in future wheat breeding programs.