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Reducing plant height improves lodging resistance and helps to obtain high grain yield under various environmental conditions. So far, the introduction and maintenance of the dwarfing allele of the <i>Ddw1</i> gene is the most effective height-reducing genetic approach in rye and triticale breeding programs. However, the dominance of the dwarfing <i>Ddw1</i> allele makes it difficult to select against heterozygous lines for further breeding based on plant phenotype. To assist breeders in the identification of the allele status of the <i>Ddw1</i> gene, we developed a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker that requires basic equipment and can be easily applied. The CAPS marker was tested on two F₂ segregating populations of triticale, and the test showed the association of the <i>Ddw1</i> genotype with plant height. The application of the marker for marker-assisted selection (MAS) for rye and triticale is discussed in detail.