PLOS Genetics study maps stripe rust resistance loci in CIMMYT wheat line Kijil
Researchers at CIMMYT and collaborating institutions have identified and mapped adult plant resistance loci to stripe rust in the wheat line Kijil, validated across field environments in Mexico and China.
A study published in PLOS Genetics on 18 June 2026, led by Shanshan Yan and colleagues working with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Chinese partner institutions, reports the genetic mapping of stripe rust resistance in the CIMMYT-derived wheat line Kijil.
Stripe rust, caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, can cause severe yield losses in wheat during epidemic years and is managed most sustainably through host genetic resistance. The authors characterised Kijil's resistance across field trials conducted in both Mexico and China, confirming that it expresses durable adult plant resistance in divergent environments. Using a mapping population, they identified the genomic loci responsible and assessed their contribution to resistance.
The identification of new resistance loci is important for maintaining genetic diversity in breeding programmes at a time when existing resistance genes face erosion through pathogen evolution. The study is primarily of interest to plant geneticists, crop genomics researchers, and educators covering quantitative resistance genetics and plant-pathogen co-evolution. It was published open-access in PLOS Genetics.
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Primary source Public Library of Science · 2026-06-18Genetic analysis and mapping of adult plant stripe rust resistance loci in CIMMYT wheat 'Kijil' under Mexican and Chinese field environments