Mapping and marker-assisted breeding of a gene allelic to the major Asian rice gall midge resistance gene Gm8

Host plant resistance is the preferred management strategy for Asian rice gall midge (Orseolia oryzae), a serious pest in many rice-growing countries. Identification of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that are tightly linked to pest resistance genes can accelerate development of gene pyramids for durable/multiple resistance. Based on conventional and molecular allelism tests, we report herein that rice genotype Aganni possesses Gm8 gene, conferring hypersensitive independent (HR– type) resistance to gall midge biotypes GMB1, GMB2, GMB3, GMB4, and GMB4M. The gene Gm8 was mapped to chromosome 8 within a 400-kbp region, and the SSR markers RM22685 and RM22709 flank the gene closely. Using these closely linked flanking markers, nine other gall midge-resistant genotypes were identified as carrying the same gene Gm8. Through marker-assisted selection, Gm8 has been introgressed into an elite bacterial blight-resistant cultivar, Improved Samba-Mahsuri (IS).