RAPD Marker Linked to a Gene Conferring Resistance to Race IB-9 of Pyricularia grisea in a Somaclone of the Rice Cultivar Araguaia

The gene Pi-ar confers resistance to Pyricularia grisea in a somaclone of the upland rice cultivar Araguaia developed from callus culture of immature panicles. The somaclone SC09 exhibited resistant reaction to all of the 182 P. grisea test isolates belonging to 15 different races. The study on inheritance showed that the resistance to pathotype IB-9 of P. grisea is monogenic and dominant. In order to identify marker linked to this gene, the F₂ population from a cross between the highly susceptible cultivar Lijiangxintuanheigu (LTH) and the somaclone SC09 of rice cultivar Araguaia was screened using RAPD primers. Initially, the polymorphism between parents, the cultivar LTH and somaclone SC09 was analyzed using 577 random 10-bp primers. The susceptible and resistant bulks of the F₂ population, along with DNA of the two parents were tested with 176 primers that differentiated susceptible and resistant parents. Thirty-six primers differentiated the susceptible and resistant bulks, as well as the cultivar LTH of the somaclone SC09. However, one primer OPK17 was found to be closely linked (5.3 cM) to the resistance gene of somaclone and this can be used in the marker assisted selection.