ARS | Publication request: New FHB-resistant Sources from Asian Wheat Germplasm

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 1, 2008
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Citation: Yu, J., Bai, G., Cai, S., Dong, Y., Ban, T. 2008. New FHB-resistant Sources from Asian Wheat Germplasm. Crop Science. 48:1090-1097.

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium head blight (FHB), also called scab, is an important disease of wheat worldwide. Severe disease epidemics can dramatically reduce grain yield and quality. Currently, only a limited number of germplasms are used as the FHB-resistant parents in breeding programs. New FHB-resistant germplasm linesare desired for breeding wheat cultivars with better FHB resistance. Ninety-four wheat landraces and cultivars were selected mainly from China and Japan. These wheat lines were evaluated for FHB resistance and accumulation of deoxnivalenol (DON), a toxic compound produced by the pathogen during disease development, in diseased grains. Two-thirds of the accessions were either resistant or moderately resistant to FHB. Among them, 26 highly resistant accessions were mainly from China and Japan, 15 had low DON content (<2 ppm) in harvested grain and 6 had three different types FHB resistance. Some resistant lines may carry genes for resistance to FHB and DON accumulation different from those in Sumai 3, a commonly used resistant parent in breeding programs worldwide. The new germplasm lines identified in this study have potential to provide new source of FHB resistance genes for improving FHB resistance in US wheat cultivars.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an important disease of wheat worldwide. Severe infection can dramatically reduce grain yield and quality. Resistant cultivars have been identified from several countries. However, only a few sources of FHB resistance showed stable FHB resistance across environments, and have been used as the major source of resistance in breeding programs. To diversify the wheat FHB-resistance gene pool, new sources of FHB-resistance are desired. Ninety-four selected wheat landraces and cultivars, mainly from China and Japan, have been evaluated for FHB severity and deoxnivalenol (DON) content. Low DON content was correlated with resistance to the FHB symptom spread within an infected spike, but not with the resistance to FHB initial infection. Two-thirds of the accessions were either resistant or moderately resistant to FHB. Among them, 26 highly resistant accessions mainly originated from China and Japan. Fifteen of them had less than 2 mg kg-1 DON in harvested grain, six of which showed all three types of resistance. Most of these resistant accessions lack known pedigree relations to Sumai 3, suggesting that some of them may carry genes for resistance to FHB and DON accumulation different from those in Sumai 3.