Genes of rust resistance in Hungarian wheat cultivars

Breeding wheat rust resistant cultivars has economical as well as environmental advantages. In our study race-specific genes for resistance in Hungarian wheat cultivars were postulated by comparison of their reaction to pathotypes of stem and leaf rust with the reaction of isogenic backcross lines prossessing known genes, and in relation to their pedigrees. It has been proved that stem and leaf rust resistance is based on some resistance genes in Hungary. Sr5, Sr31 and Sr36 are important genes for stem rust resistance. Among the leaf rust resistance genes Lr3, Lr26, Lr34 and Lr3+Lr34 found the most often in growing cultivars. The resistance genes Sr31 and Sr36 are effective to all known pathotypes in Hungary, the gene Sr5 gives protection only to pathotypes of stem rust race 1. It has been proved, that the genes Lr3 and Lr26 not able protect the Hungarian wheat culti vars perfectly from leaf rust any more. Today the main strategy of controlling of wheat rusts should be finding new source of resistance and breeding new resistant cultivars with effective resistance genes.