Localisation and combination of resistance genes against soil-borne viruses of barley (BaMMV,BaYMV) using doubled haploids and molecular markers

Barley yellow mosaic virus disease caused by different strains of BaYMV and BaMMV is a major threat to winter barley cultivation in Europe. Different resistance genes against these viruses have been mapped and suitable PCR-based markers have been developed. In this respect doubled haploid (DH) populations proved to be advantageous as they facilitate a repeated test for resistance against all agents of the barley yellow mosaic virus complex and besides this, dominant marker systems are as informative as co-dominant ones in DHs due to the lack of heterozygous genotypes. Using DH populations resistance genes rym4, rym5, rym11, rym13, rym15 and the BaYMV/BaYMV-2 resistance of the barley cultivar ‘Chikurin Ibaraki 1’ have been mapped. DHs are also well suited to pyramiding resistance genes against BaMMV and BaYMV. Since homozygous recessive genotypes are more frequent in DHs than in segregating F₂ populations, DHs can be efficiently used to create broad-spectrum resistance and to extend the usability of partly overcome resistance genes. Results from employing two different strategies for pyramiding, based on one and two DH-steps, respectively, combining three recessive resistance genes, i.e. rym4/rym5, rym9 and rym11, are presented. The faster strategy based on one haploidy step resulted in the identification of all three and two-way combinations of the respective resistance genes.