Genetic analysis of resistance to leaf-rust (Puccinia recondita f. sp. tritici) pathotypes in the durum wheats 'PBW 34' and 'DWL 5023'

Genetic analysis of leaf-rust resistance was conducted on two durum wheats. Triticum durum cvs. ‘PBW 34’ and ‘DWL 5023’ were crossed with the leaf-rust-susceptible durum wheat ‘Malvi Local’. The F1, F2 and F3 generations were tested against leaf-rust pathotypes 1, 77A and 108. In ‘PBW 34’, a single dominant gene was effective against each of the pathotypes 1 and 108, whereas two independently inherited dominant genes were effective against pathotype 77A. In ‘DWL 5023’, two independently inherited dominant genes were operative against pathotypes 1 and 77A, whereas a single dominant gene was identified as being operative against pathotype 108. Allelic tests on F2 generation and joint segregation analysis on F3 generation seedlings, suggested that two different genes in each cultivar are effective against these three leaf-rust pathotypes. Cultivar ‘PBW 34’ has Lrd1 and Lrd2 genes whereas Lrd1 and Lrd3 genes are present in ‘DWL 5023’