Ryegrass Stem Rust Resistance Genes Mapped Through Combined GWAS and QTL Analysis
A combined GWAS and QTL mapping study in perennial ryegrass has identified genomic regions and candidate genes underlying resistance to stem rust, showing that family-based mapping detects rare variants that population-scale association studies miss. Stem rust, caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia graminis, is a major biotic stress in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and can cause severe seed yield losses As restrictions on fungicide use increase, developing cultivars with durable resistance has become critical for sustainable disease management, yet the genetic basis of stem rust resistance in this forage grass has remained poorly understood A study published in BMC Plant Biology has now mapped the genomic architecture of this resistance, combining two complementary mapping approaches to identify both common and rare resistance variants The research team began by characterizing…
