Two hundred and twenty wheat cultivars registered in Hungary in a period of 35 years, from 1970 to 2005, were investigated by molecular markers to determine the frequency of Sr31 and the Sr36 stem rust resistance genes which are very effective in Hungary to date. Among the 156 Hungarian wheats a significant part (32.7%) had the 1RS.1BL wheat-rye chromosome translocation, the source of Sr31 gene, or the Triticum timopheevi introgression with Sr36 gene (17.3%). In the 64 foreign cultivars, deriving from 12 countries, only 4.7% had the 1RS.1BL and 10.9% carried the Sr36. The maximal frequency of cultivars with 1RS.1BL reached 47% (in 1994), and those of with Sr36 reached 32% (in 1983 and 1984). The occurrence of above genes in some wheat cultivars developed and produced in Romania was also investigated. Owning to the threat of new pathogen race Ug99 appeared in Uganda and which is virulent to Sr31 stem rust resistance genes there is an urgent need to incorporate several other Sr resistance genes against into the new wheat cultivars.

1BL.1RS; molecular marker; Puccinia graminis; Secale cereale; translocation; Triticum aestivum; Ug99

Presentation: oral