AGRONOMIC AND QUALITY CHARACTERS OF NEAR-ISOGENIC LINES OF WHEAT CARRYING GENES FOR STEM RUST RESISTANCE

Two sets of near-isogenic lines of wheat carrying single genes for stem rust resistance were grown in yield tests to determine whether the resistance genes were deleterious. One set was based on the cultivar Marquis and the second set on a susceptible, day-length insensitive line, LMPG. The results indicated that the effects of resistance genes vary with different genes and different environments. However, there appeared to be a tendency for resistance genes to reduce yield. In most cases the reductions were too small to be of much concern to wheat breeders.