F1 hybrid cultures between Erysiphe graminis f.sp. agropyri (wheatgrass mildew fungus) and E. graminis f.sp. tritici (wheat mildew fungus) were produced by using a common host of the two formae spéciales. When three common wheat cultivars, Triticum aestivum cv. Norin 4, T. aestivum cv. Norin 10, and T. compactum cv. No. 44, were inoculated with a population of F1 cultures, avirulent and virulent cultures segregated in a 3:1 ratio. This indicated that two major genes are involved in the avirulence of E. graminis f.sp. agropyri, Ak-1, on each of the three cultivars. Further analyses revealed that the three pairs of avirulence genes have one gene in common. On T. aestivum cv. Shin-chunaga, T. aestivum cv. Norin 26, and a strain of T. macha, the F1 population segregated in the same pattern as on T. aestivum cv. Norin 4, indicating that the same pair of avirulence genes is operating on these four cultivars. On T. aestivum cv. Red Egyptian the distribution of F1 phenotypes was continuous, suggesting that no major genes are involved in the avirulence of Ak-1 on this cultivar.Key words: powdery mildew, Erysiphe graminis, avirulence, wheat, wheatgrass.