Pyramiding for Resistance Durability: Theory and Practice

Durable disease resistance is a key component of global food security, and combining resistance genes into "pyramids" is an important way to increase durability of resistance. The mechanisms by which pyramids impart durability are not well known. The traditional view of resistance pyramids considers the use of major resistance gene (R-gene) combinations deployed against pathogens that are primarily asexual. Interestingly, published examples of the successful use of pyramids in the traditional sense are rare. In contrast, most published descriptions of durable pyramids in practice are for cereal rusts, and tend to indicate an association between durability and cultivars combining major R-genes with incompletely expressed, adult plant resistance genes. Pyramids have been investigated experimentally for a diversity of pathogens, and many reduce disease levels below that of the single best gene. Resistance gene combinations have been identified through phenotypic reactions, molecular markers, and challenge against effector genes. As resistance genes do not express equally in all genetic backgrounds, however, a combination of genetic information and phenotypic analyses provide the ideal scenario for testing of putative pyramids. Not all resistance genes contribute equally to pyramids, and approaches have been suggested to identify the best genes and combinations of genes for inclusion. Combining multiple resistance genes into a single plant genotype quickly is a challenge that is being addressed through alternative breeding approaches, as well as through genomics tools such as resistance gene cassettes and gene editing. Experimental and modeling tests of pyramid durability are in their infancy, but have promise to help direct future studies of pyramids. Several areas for further work on resistance gene pyramids are suggested.