Wheat leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina) and stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) cause large production losses in many regions of the world. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust in a recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between wheat cultivars SW 8588 and Thatcher. The population and parents were genotyped with the Wheat 55K SNP Array and SSR markers and phenotyped for leaf rust severity at Zhoukou in Henan Province and Baoding in Hebei Province. Stripe rust responses were also evaluated at Chengdu in Sichuan Province, and at Baoding. Seven and six QTL were detected for resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust, respectively. Four QTL on chromosomes 1BL, 2AS, 5AL, and 7BL conferred resistance to both rusts. The QTL on 1BL and 2AS were identified as Lr46/Yr29 and Lr37/Yr17, respectively. QLr.hebau-2DS from Thatcher, identified as Lr22b that was previously thought to be ineffective in China, contributed a large effect for leaf rust resistance. QLr.hebau-5AL/QYr.hebau-5AL, QLr.hebau-3BL, QLr.hebau-6DS, QYr.hebau-4BS, and QYr.hebau-6DS are likely to be new QTL, but require further validation. Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers for QLr.hebau-2DS and QLr.hebau-5AL/QYr.hebau-5AL were successfully developed and validated in a diverse wheat panel from Sichuan Province, indicating their usefulness under different genetic backgrounds. These QTL and their closely linked SNP and SSR markers will be useful for fine mapping, candidate gene discovery, and marker-assisted selection in breeding for durable resistance to both leaf and stripe rusts.

Puccinia triticina Eriks. (Pt), the causal agent of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaf rust, is the most widespread disease of common wheat worldwide. In the present study, 83 wheat cultivars from three provinces of China and 36 tester lines with known leaf rust resistance (Lr) genes were inoculated in the greenhouse with 18 Pt pathotypes to identify seedling effective Lr genes. Field tests were also performed to characterize slow leaf rusting responses at the adult plant growth stage in Baoding and Zhoukou in the 2014–15 and 2015–16 cropping seasons. Twelve Lr genes, viz. Lr1, Lr26, Lr3ka, Lr11, Lr10, Lr2b, Lr13, Lr21, Lr34, Lr37, Lr44, and Lr46 either singly or in combination were identified in 41 cultivars. Known Lr genes were not detected in the remaining 42 cultivars. The most commonly identified resistance genes were Lr26 (20 cultivars), Lr46 (18 cultivars), and Lr1 (eight cultivars). Less frequently detected genes included Lr13, Lr34, and Lr37 (each present in four cultivars), Lr10 (three cultivars), and Lr3ka and Lr44 (each in two cultivars). Evidence for the presence of genes Lr11, Lr2b, and Lr21 (each in one cultivar) was also obtained. Seventeen cultivars were found to have slow rusting resistance in both field growing seasons.