QTL mapping of Fusarium head blight resistance in winter wheat cultivars 'Art' and 'Everest'

Authors: CLINESMITH, MARSHALL - Kansas State University; FRITZ, ALLAN - Kansas State University; LEMES DA SILVA, CRISTIANO - Kansas State University; BOCKUS, WILLIAM - Kansas State University; POLAND, JESSE - Kansas State University; Dowell, Floyd; PEIRIS, KAMARANGA H. - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2019
Publication Date: 5/16/2019
Citation: Clinesmith, M.A., Fritz, A.K., Lemes da Silva, C., Bockus, W.W., Poland, J.A., Dowell, F.E., Peiris, K.H.S. 2019. QTL mapping of Fusarium head blight resistance in winter wheat cultivars 'Art' and 'Everest'. Crop Science. 59(3):911-924. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.04.0276.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2018.04.0276

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium head blight (FHB), commonly referred to as head scab, is a devastating fungal disease infecting wheat and most commonly associated with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. Development of resistant cultivars has proved to be an effective method to combat the disease; however, the majority of major resistance has typically been found in exotic material. Transferring resistance from these sources into locally adapted cultivars has been a slow process due to linkage drag associated with FHB resistance genes. Therefore, it is important for breeders to search for sources of resistance in native material. This study was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to spread of FHB within the spike, accumulation of deoxynivalenol toxin in grain, and resistance to kernel infection using a doubled-haploid population developed from a cross between the hard red winter wheat cultivars, Art and Everest. Three QTL conferring resistance to FHB traits were detected on three chromosomes. Two chromosomes overlapped with the major height genes. Plant height has shown previous associations with FHB, though the underlying cause of these associations is not well understood. In this study, the haplotype analysis for two loci showed an association between the dwarfing alleles and increased resistance to FHB. This suggests either pleiotropic effects of these loci or perhaps linkage with nearby genes for FHB resistance.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight is a disease of small grains most commonly associated with the fungal pathogen Fusarium graminearum. Development and deployment of resistant cultivars has proved to be an effective method to combat the disease; however, the majority of major resistance has typically been found in exotic material. Transferring resistance from these sources into locally adapted cultivars has been a slow process due to linkage drag associated with FHB resistance genes. Therefore, it is important for breeders to search for sources of resistance in native material. This study was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci for resistance to spread of FHB within the spike (Type II resistance), accumulation of deoxynivalenol toxin in grain (Type III resistance), and resistance to kernel infection (Type IV resistance) using a doubled-haploid population developed from a cross between the hard red winter wheat cultivars, Art and Everest. Three QTL conferring resistance to FHB traits were detected on chromosomes 2D, 4B, and 4D. The QTL on chromosomes 4B and 4D overlapped with the major height genes Rht-B1 and Rht-D1, respectively. Plant height has shown previous associations with FHB, though the underlying cause of these associations is not well understood. In this study, the haplotype analysis for the Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 loci showed an association between the dwarfing alleles and increased resistance to FHB. This suggests either pleiotropic effects of these loci or perhaps linkage with nearby genes for FHB resistance.