Identification of bird cherry‐oat aphid and greenbug resistance sources from Aegilops tauschii for wheat improvement

Abstract

AbstractBird cherry‐oat aphid (BCOA) and greenbug pose a persistent threat to wheat production in many wheat‐growing regions. Currently, greenbug resistance genes are limited for wheat improvement, and BCOA resistance sources are even more scarce. Thus, it is urgent to identify BCOA and greenbug resistance sources in wheat gene pools. An Aegilops tauschii (Ae. tauschii) panel of 260 accessions, which accounted for 48% of the total Ae. tauschii accessions available in global germplasm banks, was evaluated for BCOA resistance, and a set of BCOA‐resistant lines were identified. The same panel was evaluated for response to greenbug biotypes C, E, F, G, I, and TX1. A total of 102 lines exhibited 14 unique resistance profiles or phenotypes featuring resistance to at least one biotype. The frequency of resistant lines varied among lineages or subspecies, from 62% in Lineage 1 (subspecies tauschii) to 18% in Lineage 2 (subspecies stangulata), indicating conservation of genetic variance for greenbug resistance was nonrandom. Ae. tauschii accessions resistant to both BCOA and greenbug were identified for enhancing aphid resistance.