Marker assisted pyramiding of major blast resistance genes Pi9 and Pita in the genetic background of an elite Basmati rice variety, Pusa Basmati 1

Apurva Khanna; Vinay Sharma; Ranjith K. Ellur; Asif B. Shikari; S. Gopala Krishnan; U. D. Singh; G. Prakash; T. R. Sharma; Rajeev Rathour; Mukund Variar; S K. Prashanthi; M. Nagarajan; K. K. Vinod; Prolay K. Bhowmick; H. Rajashekhara; N. K. Singh; K. V. Prabhu; Ashok K. Singh

Apurva Khanna Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
Vinay Sharma Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Banasthali University, Banasthali 304 022, Rajasthan;
Ranjith K. Ellur Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
Asif B. Shikari Division of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar 191121, Jammu and Kashmir
S. Gopala Krishnan Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
U. D. Singh Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
G. Prakash Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
T. R. Sharma ICAR-National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110 012
Rajeev Rathour Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur 176 062, Himachal Pradesh
Mukund Variar Central Rainfed Upland Rice Research Station- ICARCRRI, Hazaribagh 825 301, Jharkhand
S K. Prashanthi Agricultural Research Station, Mugad, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad 580 007, Karnataka;
M. Nagarajan Rice Breeding and Genetics Research Centre, ICAR-IARI, Aduthurai 612 101, Tamil Nadu;
K. K. Vinod Rice Breeding and Genetics Research Centre, ICAR-IARI, Aduthurai 612 101, Tamil Nadu;
Prolay K. Bhowmick Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
H. Rajashekhara ICAR-Vivekanada Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora 263 060, Uttarakhand
N. K. Singh ICAR-National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110 012
K. V. Prabhu Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012
Ashok K. Singh Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012

Keywords: Basmati rice, blast resistance, gene pyramiding, marker assisted selection

Abstract

Basmati is a premium quality rice of India which is highly priced in the international market. Pusa Basmati 1, an elite Basmati rice variety is highly susceptible to rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. Therefore, pyramiding blast resistance genes is essential to effectively combat the blast disease and increase the durability of resistance genes. The blast resistance genes Pi9 and Pita have been earlier demonstrated to be effective in Basmati growing regions of the country. Therefore, in the present study, monogenicnear isogenic lines Pusa 1637-18-7-6-20 and Pusa 1633-3-8- 8-16-1 carrying Pi9 and Pita, respectively, were intercrossed to generate pyramided lines through marker assisted foreground, background and phenotypic selection for recurrent parent phenotype. The pyramided lines carrying Pi9+Pita were found to be either at par or superior to the recurrent parent Pusa Basmati 1 for agro-morphological, grain and cooking quality traits. Further, these pyramided lines were also found to show resistance against three virulent pathotypes of M. oryzae namely, Mo-nwi-kash 1, Mo-nwi-lon2 and Mo-ei-ran1, when evaluated under artificial inoculation conditions as well as in the natural epiphytotic conditions of uniform blast nursery at two locations. The developed pyramided lines are the potential sources of blast resistance genes in the Basmati improvement program and can also be released for commercial cultivation after required testing.