Research Projects

Present work has been proposed for understanding the genetic mechanism of resistance against storage grain pest of wheat Rhyzopertha dominica also called lesser grain borer (LGB). Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has developed a synthetic hexaploid wheat (ABD) line named as syn14135 having resistance to LGB derived from wild species Ae. tauschii. 200 BC1F8 backcross Introgression lines (BILs) have been obtained by crossing this syn14135 with cultivated wheat variety HD2967 to have introgression of synthetic wheat in cultivated wheat background. The five BIL showing complete resistance and complete susceptibility are selected will be genotyped with sequencing based methods to map introgression of syn14135 in background of HD2967. It will help us to understand the introgression responsible for imparting LGB resistance in these BILs. For precisely mapping the gene(s) responsible for imparting LGB resistance, one of these BILs is crossed with cultivated wheat variety PBW725 (susceptible to LGB) and F1 were obtained. These F1 will be selfed to obtain F4:5 RIL mapping population. The RIL population will be screened for LGB and and the genetics of resistance will be worked out. At same time this RIL population will be genotyped by sequencing gene(s) methods and gene(s) responsible for LGB resistance will be mapped precisely and closely linked markers will be identified. The linked markers will be utilized to transfer the LGB resistance gene(s) into three popularly cultivated wheat varieties Unnat PBW343, Unnat PBW550 and PBW725.