Biology and Population Genetics of Cereal Rust Fungi

My main research interests are in biology and population genetics of cereal rust fungi and host resistance to rusts in wheat and barley. I conduct nationwide surveys and monitoring of the race composition of the stem rust pathogen Puccinia graminis and investigate forces causing race dynamics in the stem rust populations. I conduct research in wheat and barley improvement by evaluating critical breeding germplasm, identifying new sources of resistance, and investigating the genetics of resistance. I also investigate the diversity of Fusarium head blight resistance in spring wheat.

Ug99 and emerging virulent stem rust race

Selected Publications

in PDF format:

2008

• Will stem rust destroy the world’s wheat crop?
• Detection of virulence to resistance gene Sr24 within race TTKS of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici.
• Inheritance of leaf rust resistance in the CIMMYT wheat Weebill 1.
• Diagnostic microsatellite markers for the detection of stem rust resistance gene Sr36 in diverse genetic backgrounds of wheat.
• New Fusarium head blight resistant spring wheat germplasm identified in the USDA National Small Grains Collection.

2007

• Microsatellite markers linked to stem rust resistance alllele Sr9a in wheat.
• Letter Code System of Nomenclature for Puccinia graminis f. sp. avenae.
• Registration of ‘Briggs’ Wheat
• Geographic distribution of stem rust resistance in wheat landraces.
• Chromosomal locations of genes for stem rust resistance in monogenic lines derived from tetraploid wheat accession ST464.
• Characterization of seedling infection types and adult plant infection responses
  of monogenic Sr gene lines to race TTKS of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici.
• Wheat leaf and stem rust in the United States.

2006

• Molecular cytogenetic characterization of four patrial wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum amphiploids and their reactions to Fusarium head blight, tan spot, and Stagonospora nodorum blotch.
• Current status, likely migration and strategies to mitigate the threat to wheat production from race Ug99 (TTKS) of stem rust pathogen.
• The spread of stem rust caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, with virulence on Sr31 in wheat in eastern Africa.
• Resistance in U.S. wheat to recent eastern Africa isolates of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici with virulence to resistance gene Sr31.
• Registration of ‘Wendy’ wheat.

2005

• Wheat Rusts in the United States in 2004.
• Races of Puccinia graminis identified in the United States during 2003.

2004

• Molecular mapping of the crown rust resistance gene Rpc1 in barley.
• Development of a resistance-based sensor for detection of wetness at the soil-air interface.

Other publications:

Genetic variation for Puccinia emaculata infection in switchgrass. Gustanfson, D.M., A. Boe, and Y. Jin. 2003. Crop Sci. 43:755-759.

Molecular mapping of leaf rust resistance gene Rph5 in barley. Mammadov, J.A., J.C. Zwonitzer, R.M. Biyashev, C.A. Griffey, Y. Jin, B.J. Steffenson, and M.A. Saghai Maroof. 2003. Crop Sci. 43:388-393.

Molecular mapping of the leaf rust resistance gene Rph6 in barley and its linkage relationships with Rph5 and Rph7. Zhong, S., R.J. Effertz, Y. Jin, J.D. Franckowiak, and B.J. Steffenson. 2003. Phytopathology 93:604-609.

Sources and genetics of crown rust resistance in barley. Jin, Y. and B.J. Steffenson. 2002. Phytopathology 92:1064-1067.