Marker-assisted development of triple rust resistance wheat variety HD3407

A high-yielding and well-adapted wheat variety for central and peninsular India HD2932 was improved for three types of wheat rusts by introgressing genes Lr19/Sr25, Lr24/Sr24and Yr10and a new variety HD3407 (Unnat HD2932) was developed. The linked genes, Lr19/Sr25and Lr24/Sr24, were derived from Thinopyrum(syn. Agropyron), whereas Yr10was derived from Moro wheat (Triticum aestivumL.). NILs (> 90% RPG) with Lr19/Sr25 and Lr24/Sr24in BC2F1generation were intercrossed to produce two gene combinations Lr19/Sr25+ Lr24/Sr24.The two genes carrying plants were crossed with the third NIL with Yr10for stripe rust resistance. Three-way cross NILF1s were selfed and a large F2generation was produced to select plants with three genes. A single plant with all three genes in the homozygous state and maximum phenotypic and genotypic similarity (RPG = 98.14%) was identified and nominated in all India coordinated trials as HD3407. The proposed entry HD3407 yielded at par as that of the recurrent parent and check variety HD2932 during both the years of testing, 2020–21 and 2021–22, and displayed a high degree of resistance to leaf, stem and stripe rusts at seedling and adult plant stages. The average coefficient of infection for leaf rust (1.95), stem rust (3.45) and stripe rust (6.4) in HD3407 is found to be very low in artificial conditions in comparison with recurrent parent and check HD2932. Variety HD3407 (Unnat HD2932) was released for cultivation in 2023 for the central zone of India with Gazette notification S.O. 1056(E), dated 6th March, 2023.