Genome-wide associations for multiple pest resistances in a Northwestern United States elite spring wheat panel

PLoS One. 2018 Feb 7;13(2):e0191305. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191305. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Northern areas of the western United States are one of the most productive wheat growing regions in the United States. Increasing productivity through breeding is hindered by several biotic stresses which slow and constrain targeted yield improvement. In order to understand genetic variation for stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici), Septoria tritici blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola), and Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor) in regional germplasm, a panel of 408 elite spring wheat lines was characterized and genotyped with an Illumina 9K wheat single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip to enable genome-wide association study (GWAS) analyses. Significant marker-trait associations were identified for stripe rust (38 loci), Septoria tritici blotch (8) and Hessian fly (9) resistance. Many of the QTL corresponded with previously reported gene locations or QTL, but we also discovered new resistance loci for each trait. We validated one of the stripe rust resistance loci detected by GWAS in a bi-parental mapping population, which confirmed the detection of Yr15 in the panel. This study elucidated well-defined chromosome regions for multiple pest resistances in elite Northwest germplasm. Newly identified resistance loci, along with SNPs more tightly linked to previously reported genes or QTL will help future breeding and marker assisted selection efforts.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Fungi / pathogenicity*
  • Genes, Plant
  • Genome-Wide Association Study*
  • Linkage Disequilibrium
  • Northwestern United States
  • Quantitative Trait Loci
  • Triticum / genetics*
  • Triticum / parasitology

Grants and funding

This project was supported in part by funds provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, by the USDA, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative 2011-68002-30029 (Triticeae Coordinated Agricultural Project) and 2017-67007-25939, and by the Washington Wheat Commission and the Idaho Wheat Commission. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.