Molecular Identification of Yellow rust Yr10, Yr15 and brown rust Lr13, Lr16 resistance genes in Pakistani wheat germplasm

Wheat, being the main staple crop, holds tremendous significance for Pakistan's economy and food security. Fungal diseases like yellow rust and leaf rust negatively impact the crop by causing significant losses in its production. In Pakistan, rust-resistant wheat varieties are being developed using conventional breeding techniques that focus on phenotypic selection. However, these techniques frequently provide false positive findings, which limit their ability to precisely identify cultivars with long-lasting rust resistance. Marker-assisted selection could aid in overcoming this challenge by enabling for more accurate identification of target resistance genes. Disease control through the development of disease-resistant cultivars is the most economical and environmentally sustainable method. In this study, we used molecular markers to identify the presence of two yellow rust and two leaf rust resistant genes in a set of 20 genotypes derived from Ayyub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad and Regional Agricultural Research Institute Bahawalpur. Identification of Lr13 with marker Xgwm630 and Lr16 with marker Xwmc764 indicated that 19 genotypes contain Lr13 gene and 18 genotypes contain Lr16 gene. Yr10 identification with marker Xpsp3000 indicated that 18 genotypes amplified both resistant and susceptible allele, while 1 genotype amplified all three alleles and genotype ESWYT-P-103 amplified only 220bp fragment. Identification of Yr15 gene with marker Xbarc8 indicated the absence of this gene in 18 genotypes, with 1 genotype being heterozygous and 1 genotype with no amplification.