Objective:
Develop useful and practical tools for screening of germplasm for the Kentucky FHB breeding program. Improve the basic understanding of the mechanism of seed infection by F. graminearum and its relation to FHB symptoms and DON production.

Approach:
Develop and optimize a protocol for quantification of F. graminearum fungal biomass in developing mature wheat kernels based on the tri5 primers and SYBR-Green quantification using RT PCR in the highly automated and affordable SmartCycler system. Correlate fungal biomass with DON levels in kernels of three different breeding lines from the Kentucky breeding program that are highly resistant, moderately resistant, and susceptible to FHB. Use cytological methods to relate fungal development and localization over time to levels of DON and symptom development in infected seeds from resistant, moderately resistant, and susceptible wheat varieties.