Linkage of SSR markers with rice blast resistance and development of partial resistant advanced lines of rice (Oryza sativa) through marker-assisted selection

Rice blast disease is one of the major bottlenecks of rice production in the world including Bangladesh. To develop blast resistant lines, a cross was made between a high yielding but blast susceptible variety MR263 and a blast resistant variety Pongsu seribu 2. Marker-assisted backcross breeding was followed to develop F 1 , BC 1 F 1 , BC 2 F 1 , BC 2 F 2 , BC 2 F 3, BC 2 F 4 and BC 2 F 5 population. DNA markers i.e., RM206, RM1359 and RM8225 closely linked to Pb1, pi21 and Piz blast resistant genes, respectively and marker RM276 linked to panicle blast resistant QTL ( qPbj-6.1 ) were used in foreground selection . Calculated chi-square…