Abstract Stem rust caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici continues to pose a serious risk to wheat cultivation because newly emerging pathogen races frequently overcome existing resistance. Traditional wheat landraces represent valuable genetic resources that can contribute novel resistance alleles for crop improvement. In the present investigation, Pakistani wheat landraces obtained from the USDA National Small Grains Collection were evaluated using SSR markers linked with the resistance genes Sr 22 and Sr 24. The markers CFA2019 and CFA2123 were applied for Sr 22 detection, whereas BARC71 was used for Sr 24. The screening results revealed that Sr 22-associated alleles were present in a large proportion of accessions, while Sr 24 occurred in relatively few genotypes. These outcomes highlight the breeding potential of Pakistani landraces and support the utilization of Sr 22-carrying materials in marker-assisted breeding programs aimed at strengthening stem rust resistance in wheat.
Samoo et al. (Wed,) studied this question.