Identification and validation of fusarium head blight and Fusarium-damaged kernel QTL in a Frontana/Remus DH mapping population

Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). This study investigated a ‘Frontana/Remus’ doubled haploid population (n = 210 lines) to map and validate the ‘Frontana’ resistance quantitative trait loci (QTL) focusing on Fusarium-damaged kernels (FDK). The plant material was evaluated in six epidemic situations for Fusarium resistance in inoculated field experiments, with either Fusarium graminearum or F. culmorum. Other studies have focused on FHB QTL, but it is important to evaluate how far these QTL determine FDK values. The data show that the genetic regulation of FHB resistance is more complex than earlier proposed. FHB resistance QTL were identified on chromosomes 3A, 4A and 6B. Markers showed association with FDK resistance on chromosomes 3D and at the marker Xs12m15_4. QTL on 2B, 4B, 5A and 7B chromosomes were responsible for both FHB and FDK resistance; in this case, the same QTL influenced both traits and possibly other traits during disease development. These QTL are very important, because they can be considered to be real Fusarium resistance QTL. The use of markers in breeding programmes, which are associated only with FHB or FDK resistance may be questionable and require further research. Heading date QTL were detected on chromosomes 1A, 2D and 7B overlapping with neither FHB nor FDK resistance QTL. The QTL identified in the ‘Frontana/Remus’ population were in good agreement with earlier results from the literature.