Screening the promising wild emmer wheat genotypes containing the Yr15 gene in Türkiye and Syria through molecular markers

Stripe rust, also known as yellow rust, is a devastating fungal disease affecting wheat, primarily caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici Eriks. in cooler, temperate regions. The potential breakdown of crucial stripe rust resistance genes and the emergence of aggressive new stripe rust races pose persistent threats worldwide. The Yr15 gene, found in wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides), provides broad-spectrum resistance to stripe rust. This study aimed to identify variations of the Yr15 gene in wild emmer wheat from the Northern Fertile Crescent for integration into breeding programs. Wheat tandem kinase 1, a putative kinase-pseudokinase encoded by Yr15, exhibits a unique R-gene structure offering protection against stripe rust. We screened 140 wild emmer wheat genotypes from Turkey and Syria using the gene-specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker (Y15K1_F2/uhw30_1R) for PCR amplification. Adult plant test were also conducted with artificial inoculation of the Warrior race during the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 growing seasons. Eighty promising genotypes from Turkey (Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa) and Syria (Al Qunayţirah, As Suwaydā’) carrying the Yr15 were identified and validated through adult plant test. Eighty genotypes carrying the Yr15 offer valuable resources for wheat breeding programs aimed at enhancing stripe rust resistance. Furthermore, this research contributes to understanding the evolutionary dynamics of the Yr15 within wild emmer wheat populations in the Fertile Crescent.