Resistance to powdery mildew in a doubled haploid barley population and its association with marker loci

The genetic basis of resistance to powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis DC. f.sp. hordei Marchal) was analyzed using doubled haploid barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) lines from the cross Harrington/TR306. Based on infection types observed after inoculation with defined single-conidium isolates, the lines were classified into four groups. The observed phenotypic ratio fit a two-locus model. The two putative loci were mapped relative to molecular markers. One coincided with the previously mapped dMlg locus on chromosome 4. Based on the observed infection types, Harrington carries the Mlg resistance allele, and TR306 carries a second locus on chromosome 7 (5H); this was tentatively designated Ml(TR). It is the first reported race-specific powdery mildew resistance gene located on that chromosome. These two loci were also detected by simple interval mapping of disease severity data from naturally infected field plots. Composite interval mapping with the first two resistance loci as co-factors detected an additional locus on chromosome 6, with a minor effect on resistance. Finally, superimposing the race-specific classification onto the field data provided evidence for a minor-effect locus on chromosome 7 (5H). The Mlg locus had the largest effect, the Ml(TR) locus had an intermediate effect and the other two loci had very small effects. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an integrated approach to identifying and mapping resistance loci using classification data from inoculated experiments and quantitative data from field experiments.