description
- Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a major threat to wheat production causing yield loss and contamination of grain with mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON). Most UK wheat varieties are highly susceptible to FHB and achieving resistance remains a major challenge internationally. Developing highly resistant varieties is difficult because resistance is quantitative (controlled by so-called quantitative trait loci (QTL)), and not expressed in all environments or wheat backgrounds. In addition, resistance that limits FHB symptoms is not always accompanied by reduced DON contamination of grain. Limagrain UK Limited has developed wheat lines carrying different FHB resistance QTL. This project will identify which FHB QTL are most potent in UK winter wheat backgrounds and under UK conditions. It will also establish which QTL restrict FHB symptoms and those that limit DON accumulation. The position of the QTL will be fine-mapped and novel DNA markers will be produced to enable plant breeders to use these resistances in breeding programmes and to assist efforts to clone the genes responsible. Research at JIC has identified a new source of FHB resistance that reduces FHB symptoms and DON accumulation. This resistance will be genetically characterised through detailed phenotyping and genetic mapping studies to identify QTL controlling FHB and DON accumulation and to develop wheat lines with which to isolate and localise individual QTL.