Mapping QTLs for field resistance to the rice blast pathogen and evaluating their individual and combined utility in improved varieties

Lines from a Lemont x Teqing recombinant inbred population were evaluated for dilatory resistance to rice blast disease using: (1) the Standard Evaluation System (SES) for rating leaf blast, (2) the percentage diseased leaf area (%DLA), and (3) the area under a disease progress curve (AUDPC). RFLP mapping using 175 well-distributed loci revealed nine QTLs, one each on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9, with two loci on chromosome 12. All nine putative QTLs were associated with AUDPC, six with both a %DLA and a SES rating. Teqing contributed the resistance allele for all these loci except for the one located on chromosome 4. Individual QTLs accounted for 5-32% of the observed phenotypic variation, and combined QTL models accounted for 43-53%. Three QTLs were located near three of the four major resistance genes previously identified in this population. The resistances of both Lemont and Teqing were attributable to a combination of both major genes capable of inducing hypersensitive reactions and minor genes causing less-distinctive phenotypic differences. Interactions were noted between QTLs and major genes. Our findings are in support of the strategy of pyramiding major genes and QTLs in carefully selected combinations to develop improved varieties with resistance to the blast fungus that is both broad in spectrum and durable.