Powdery mildew is a severe fungal disease in wheat. So far 29 Pm genes conferring resistance to the disease in wheat have been identified. Here, we report a RAPD marker linked to a recessive Pm gene (tentatively designated as Pm 30) in wheat variety Fu Zhuang 30, which showed high resistance to all powdery mildew races recorded in China. A 628 bp fragment was specifically amplified with RAPD primer UBC405 (CTCTCGTGCG) in Fu Zhuang 30, but not in susceptible cultivars Nong Da 015 and Jing Hua No. 1. With bulk segregate analysis of 101 F 2 progenies of Nong Da 015/ Fu Zhuang 30 and 62 F 2 progenies of Jing Hua No.1/Fu Zhuang 30 cross, we calculated that the genetic distance between the UBC405 650 RAPD marker and the Pm3 0 gene was 13 cM (LOD value of 7.4). The RAPD marker will be valuable in marker assisted selection in breeding programs aimed at transferring the Pm 30 gene into commercial wheat varieties.
