Mapping resistance to Southern rust in a tropical by temperate maize recombinant inbred topcross population

Southern rust, caused by Puccinia polysora Underw, is a foliar disease that can severely reduce grain yield in maize (Zea mays L.). Major resistance genes exist, but their effectiveness can be limited in areas where P. polysora is multi-racial. General resistance could be achieved by combining quantitative and race-specific resistances. This would be desirable if the resistance alleles maintained resistance across environments while not increasing plant maturity. Recombinant inbred (RI) lines were derived from a cross between NC300, a temperate-adapted all-tropical line, and B104, an Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic line. The RI lines were topcrossed to the tester FR615 x FR697. The 143 topcrosses were scored for Southern rust in four environments. Time to flowering was measured in two environments. The RI lines were genotyped at 113 simple sequence repeat markers and quantitative trait loci (QTL) were mapped for both traits. The entry mean heritability estimate for Southern rust resistance was 0.93. A multiple interval mapping model, including four QTL, accounted for 88% of the variation among average disease ratings. A major QTL located on the short arm of chromosome 10, explained 83% of the phenotypic variation, with the NC300 allele carrying the resistance. Significant (P < 0.001), but relatively minor, topcross-by-environment interaction occurred for Southern rust, and resulted from the interaction of the major QTL with the environment. Maturity and Southern rust rating were slightly correlated, but QTL for the two traits did not co-localize. Resistance was simply inherited in this population and the major QTL is likely a dominant resistant gene that is independent of plant maturity.