IDENTIFICATION OF AN RAPD MARKER FOR THE CROWN RUST RESISTANCE GENE PC68 IN OATS

The feasibility of using bulk segregant analysis to identify molecular markers for disease resistance genes in oats was investigated, utiliz ing random primers in conjunction with polymerase chain reaction techn ology. Random primers were screened for the amplification of polymorph ic DNA fragments on two pools of genomic DNA isolated from plants that were homozygous for the presence and absence of the crown rust resist ance gene Pc68. Ten primers were identified that amplified polymorphic DNA fragments. Of these,one was tightly linked, in repulsion, to the target gene, while the other nine were not linked to this trait. The r elatively low cost of polymerase chain reaction technology, coupled wi th rapid leaf disc genomic DNA extraction techniques should result in the effective use of this linked marker in oat breeding selection prog rams.