Considerable advances in DNA marker technology in recent years have led to
an increased understanding of the complexity of the wheat genome as well as
the mapping of a large number of genes of interest. In the process, 60 loc
i linked to disease and pest resistance have been mapped using different ma
rker applications. Although restriction fragment length polymorphism marker
s have been the basis for most of this work, useful markers have also been
obtained using random amplified polymorphic DNA, sequence characterized amp
lified regions, amplified fragment length polymorphisms and, most recently,
simple sequence repeats. The next challenge facing breeders is the applica
tion of these markers in breeding programmes.