Study of Fusarium head blight resistance in old Hungarian wheat cultivars

Abstract

Some of the lines developed from old Hungarian wheat varieties bred prior to 1960 have above-average FHB resistance. As many other characteristics of these varieties (winter habit, winter hardiness, excellent breadmaking quality) are more favourable under Hungarian conditions than those of the Far Eastern genotypes used worldwide, their use as resistance sources would definitely be beneficial in wheat breeding. The results achieved so far indicate that the phenotypic and genotypic analysis of the lines should be continued in order to obtain a detailed knowledge of the genetic background of FHB resistance. The use of new resistance sources with diverse genetic backgrounds could help to avoid genetic vulnerability. The cultivation of FHB-resistant varieties would lead to a reduction in pesticide application, contributing through lower costs and environment pollution to an improvement in the sustainability of wheat production.