ABSTRACT
Wheat blast is a deadly disease that can cause 10%–100% yield loss. The disease was initially confined to South America before its first outbreak in Bangladesh in 2016, posing a great threat to global wheat production. The chemical control of wheat blast is often of low efficiency and is expensive for farmers, making host resistance the best choice because it is an economical and environmentally friendly approach. In this chapter, we review the research on host resistance sources, the identification of resistance genes and the possible contribution from modern technologies to cope with this devastating disease. A resistance source with good field blast resistance is limited, especially those of non-2NS translocation. So far, 10 blast-resistant genes have been identified; however, only five were host-resistant genes against the wheat blast pathogen, including Rmg2, Rmg3, Rmg7, Rmg8 and RmgGR119. Unfortunately three of these five host-resistant genes have been overcome by new blast isolates, and Rmg8 and RmgGR119 remain to be evaluated. It is imperative to identify new sources of blast resistance and non-2NS-based resistance genes for use in breeding. Synergic efforts are indispensable for the global research community; therefore, the International Wheat Blast Consortium plays an important role in coordinating wheat blast–related research and breeding activities. Recent efforts of CIMMYT on wheat blast resistance screening and breeding are also summarised in this review.
