Abstract
Key messageThe spring wheat-derived QTL Fhb1 was successfully introgressed into triticale and resulted in significantly improved FHB resistance in the three triticale mapping populations.Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a major problem in cereal production particularly because of mycotoxin contaminations. Here we characterized the resistance to FHB in triticale breeding material harboring resistance factors from bread wheat. A highly FHB-resistant experimental line which derives from a triticale × wheat cross was crossed to several modern triticale cultivars. Three populations of recombinant inbred lines were generated and evaluated in field experiments for FHB resistance using spray inoculations during four seasons and were genotyped with genotyping-by-sequencing and SSR markers. FHB severity was assessed in the field by visual scorings and on the harvested grain samples using digital picture analysis for quantifying the whitened kernel surface (WKS). Four QTLs with major effects on FHB resistance were identified, mapping to chromosomes 2B, 3B, 5R, and 7A. Those QTLs were detectable with both Fusarium severity traits. Measuring of WKS allows easy and fast grain symptom quantification and appears as an effective scoring tool for FHB resistance. The QTL on 3B collocated with Fhb1, and the QTL on 5R with the dwarfing gene Ddw1. This is the first report demonstrating the successful introgression of Fhb1 into triticale. It comprises a significant step forward for enhancing FHB resistance in this crop.
Highlights
Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused mainly by Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum (Bai and Shaner 1994, 2004; Mesterházy et al 2005; Ruckenbauer et al 2001; Schroeder and Christensen 1963), is considered a disease of major importance in most areas of the world where wheat and other small-grain cereals are grown
Significant genotypic effects were revealed, and continuous distributions were displayed within the three triticale populations, except for plant height in the Agostino × Grenado (AG) population, which showed a bimodal frequency distribution (Fig. 1)
The average FHB severity of the three populations was significantly lower in the E population than in the T, and AG populations, and the disease pressure was significantly different among years, with the 2016 experiment showing higher symptoms, followed by the 2014, 2017, and 2015 experiments
Summary
Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused mainly by Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum (Bai and Shaner 1994, 2004; Mesterházy et al 2005; Ruckenbauer et al 2001; Schroeder and Christensen 1963), is considered a disease of major importance in most areas of the world where wheat and other small-grain cereals are grown. Chemical control measures are only partly effective in controlling Fusarium in small-grain cereals (Mankeviciene et al 2008; Šíp et al 2010; Stack 2000), and the use of FHB-resistant cultivars combined with appropriate crop management practices is considered the most efficient method for managing this disease (Buerstmayr et al 2009; Parry et al 1995). Breeding cereal cultivars which are resistant to FHB and to the associated mycotoxin contaminations plays a crucial role for an integrated and sustainable management of this disease
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