Kabwe Nkongolo, Alain Vaillancourt, and Paul Michael. Dep. of Biology Sci., Laurentian Univ., Laurentian Univ., Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, CANADA
Rye (secale cereale L. and S. montanum) offers potential to increase the genetic variability and to introduce desirable characters for wheat improvement. Biochemical and cytogenetic technologies now enable wheat breeders to screen lines containing rye chromatins. However these technologies are not adequate because they are highly technical and time-consuming. The development of molecular markers has opened up numerous possibilities for their application in plant breeding. Total DNA from 20 wheat (Triticum aestivum), 20 triticale (X triticosecale), and 20 rye (Secale cereale and S. montanum) accessions from different provenances were analyzed using PCR. These DNA samples were amplified with several ISSR and RAPD primers. Rye genome – specific ISSR, RAPD and SCAR markers were identified and characterized for detection of rye introgression in wheat. Chromosome location analysis shows that some of these rye – specific markers were located in all rye chromosomes and some were present only on rye chromosomes 2R, 3R, 4R, and 7 R. These markers are being used to detect the presence of rye chromatin in a wheat background.
