Skip to main content
APS Plant Health 2025 Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.

POSTERS: Genetics of Resistance I

P-279 - Developing High-Yielding, Blast-Resistant Wheat by Dual-Gene Pyramiding of Rmg8 and 2NS Translocation for Global Food Security

Monday, August 4, 2025
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM HST
Location: Exhibit Hall 3
Abstract Text:

Wheat blast, caused by the pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum, poses a significant threat to global wheat production, particularly in regions such as South America, Africa, and Asia. Currently, no completely blast-resistant wheat varieties are available, and the effectiveness of fungicides is inconsistent. In this context, the recently cloned Rmg8 resistance gene emerges as a promising candidate for developing blast-resistant wheat. We have successfully created blast-resistant wheat by combining the Rmg8 gene (sourced from the donor variety S-615) with the 2NS translocation from the high-yielding variety BARI Gom 33 through marker-assisted selection. Our field trials involved hybrid and backcross progenies, screened with gene-specific markers and bioassays, resulting in the identification of 45 resistant lines across F5 and BC4F2 generations. Notably, early-flowering lines demonstrated enhanced productivity, with a negative correlation between flowering time and yield performance. Interestingly, twenty-five near-isogenic lines featuring the stacked genes matched or surpassed the elite variety BARI Gom 33 in both growth and yield, all without extending their maturation period. This dual-gene stacking approach accelerates the development of high-yielding, blast-resistant wheat and offers a scalable strategy to ensure food security in Bangladesh and other regions vulnerable to wheat blast disease.