Abstract
Leaf rust, caused by
Puccinia triticina
Eriks., is a common and widespread disease of wheat (
Triticum aestivum
L.) in Egypt. Host resistance is the most economical, effective, and ecologically sustainable method of controlling the disease. Molecular markers help to determine leaf rust resistance genes (
Lr
genes). The objective of this study was to identify
Lr
genes in fifteen wheat cultivars from Egypt. Ten genes,
Lr13
,
Lr19
,
Lr24
,
Lr26
,
Lr34
,
Lr35 Lr36
,
Lr37
,
Lr39
, and
Lr46
, were detected in fifteen wheat cultivars using various molecular markers. The most frequently occurring genes in fifteen Egyptian wheat cultivars were
Lr13
,
Lr24
,
Lr34
, and
Lr36
identified in all the cultivars used, followed by
Lr26
and
Lr35
(93%),
Lr39
(66%),
Lr37
(53%), and
Lr46
(26.6%) of the cultivars, and finally
Lr19
was present in 33.3% of cultivars. It is concluded that there was a good variation in
Lr
genes carried by wheat cultivars commercially grown in Egypt. Therefore, strategies for deploying resistance genes to prolong effective disease resistance are suggested to control wheat leaf rust disease.