The Aegilops ventricosa derived 2N^vS translocation for enhanced defense against multiple diseases in wheat

Rust diseases, caused by fungal pathogens, are a significant threat to global wheat production, including in India. The 2N^vS translocation from Aegilops ventricosa, carrying the Lr37 + Sr38 + Yr17 gene cluster, has been crucial in developing rust-resistant wheat varieties. In this study, conventional backcross breeding was initially employed to integrate this gene cluster into ten Indian bread wheat cultivars, leading to the development of BC₇F₈ near-isogenic lines (NILs) with rust resistance. Comprehensive phenotyping at both juvenile and mature plant stages was done to select for desirable traits. However, this method was time-consuming and dependent on consistent disease pressure. The development of NIL’s took almost a decade and by the time the recurrent parents chosen were no longer in cultivation. To overcome these challenges, marker-assisted backcross breeding was subsequently employed, utilizing the VENTRIUP/LN2 molecular marker to verify the presence of the gene cluster which is more efficient and reliable in selecting desired traits. This approach enabled the efficient introgression of desirable traits into modern wheat varieties such as HD 2733, PBW 343, DBW 39, HD 2967, and HW 2045, specifically targeting the North Eastern Plain Zone of India. By shifting from conventional to marker-assisted backcross breeding using the VENTRIUP/LN2 marker, this study introduced a novel method that accelerated the development of rust-resistant lines, enhancing wheat production in rust-prone regions.