Characterisation of a genetic region that conditions resistance to viral, fungal and plasmodiophorid plant pathogens

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Plant resistance (R) genes form an important component of integrated pest management strategies, decreasing reliance on fungicide and insecticide treatments. Recent work within our consortium has resulted in the identification of an R gene region that conditions resistance to viral, fungal and plasmodiophorid pathogens of sugar beet. This broad-spectrum resistance could be conferred by a number of tightly-linked R genes or by a single, novel gene. Subsequent scans of the genome revealed a number of loci that interacted with the broad-spectrum R gene locus to reduce disease levels.

The aim of the project is to characterise the region of Beta vulgaris chromosome IV involved in resistance to diverse pathogens, in terms of its structure, its interaction with secondary genetic loci and its ability to control disease in the field. It is anticipated that the information and materials generated within the project will be used for marker assisted selection by sugar beet breeders and potentially for map-based cloning of the resistance gene(s) in subsequent work. A further aim of the project therefore is to facilitate further exploitation of this resistance locus.

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