The UK's wheat harvest is under threat from a strain of the yellow rust pathogen that has overcome resistance within this vital crop
The breakdown of the resistance gene, Yr15, leaves more than 50% of the UK’swheat acreage vulnerable to infection from the fungal pathogen. The race is now on to find new resistance genes to breed into modern wheat varieties.
To support this research, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Defra have funded a Rapid Response collaboration project.
Professor Diane Saunders, Group Leader and lead of the project, said: “Witnessing such a large-scale breakdown in yellow rust resistance in 2025 was unprecedented. However, the recently unlocked diversity in ancient wheat landraces provides the research community with a fantastic resource of unutilised genetic disease resistance that can be mobilised to respond to this emergent threat and ultimately protect the UK’s wheat harvest!’
The YR15 Rapid Response team at the John Innes Centre
John Innes Centre scientists have already shown that the Watkins collection of wheat landraces contains genetics that can confer resistance to this yellow rust strain, and this project will harness the latest genomic tools to unlock these resistance sources for breeders to incorporate into modern wheat varieties.
The project brings together the institute’s rust pathology and wheat genetic and genomic expertise, the long-standing wheat disease monitoring capability of Niab, and stakeholder engagement through the Defra Wheat Genetic Improvement Network led by Rothamsted Research.
Beyond the UK, the project’s links to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) will ensure new sources of yellow rust resistance can also be incorporated into international breeding programmes as these strains continue to spread further around the world.
Yellow rust on a leaf
What is yellow rust?
Yellow rust is caused by a wind-borne fungus, which quickly spreads during the wheat growing season. Infection can severely impact wheat harvest, and the best defence against it is to grow wheat varieties containing genes that provide innate genetic resistance to the fungus.
However, like all pathogens, the yellow rust fungus is always evolving, with new strains emerging that can overcome the resistance in our crops.
Associated Scientists
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