Registration of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) sources of resistance to Hessian fly

Abstract

AbstractHessian fly is among the major pests of wheat (Triticum spp.) around the world. We evaluated 18 tetraploid (4X) or durum accessions [Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.) van Slageren], which were sourced from the USDA‐ARS National Small Grains Collection. Two of the most virulent strains of Hessian fly, vH9 and Biotype L, were used to assess the reaction of germplasm to larval attack. A susceptible hexaploid wheat accession (CItr 17790, also known as ‘Len’) and a resistant tetraploid wheat accession (PI 134942, which is a donor of resistance gene H33), were included as controls during the test. We confirmed previously reported resistant germplasm and identified two novel germplasm accessions that exhibited a clear resistance against vH9 and Biotype L infestation. The data showed that Trigo 87 (Reg. no. GP‐1046, PI 519832, a durum accession from Lebanon) and Iumillo (Reg. no. GP‐1047, PI 519716, a durum accession from India) are both resistant to vH9 infestation. In addition, Trigo 87 is also resistant to Biotype L infestation, while the resistance of Iumillo to Biotype L was inconclusive. These wheat lines can be used directly in durum breeding programs. Moreover, the resistance genes can be transferred to hexaploid wheat backgrounds for use especially in the eastern and southeastern United States, where few options for resistance are available.