Scab is a destructive disease of wheat. To accelerate development of scab-resistant wheat cultivars, molecular markers linked to scab resistance genes have been identified by using recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived by single-seed descent from a cross between the resistant wheat cultivar Ning 7840 (resistant to spread of scab within the spike) and the susceptible cultivar Clark. In the greenhouse, F(5), F(6), F(7), and F(10) families were evaluated for resistance to spread of scab within a spike by injecting about 1,000 conidiospores of Fusarium graminearum into a central spikelet. Inoculated plants were kept in moist chambers for 3 days to promote initial infection and then transferred to greenhouse benches. Scab symptoms were evaluated four times (3, 9, 15, and 21 days after inoculation). The frequency distribution of scab severity indicated that resistance to spread of scab within a spike was controlled by a few major genes. DNA was isolated from both parents and F(9) plants of the 133 RILs. A total of 300 combinations of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) primers were screened for polymorphisms using bulked segregant analysis. Twenty pairs of primers revealed at least one polymorphic band between the two contrasting bulks. The segregation of each of these bands was evaluated in the 133 RILs. Eleven AFLP markers showed significant association with scab resistance, and an individual marker explained up to 53% of the total variation (R(2)). The markers with high R(2) values mapped to a single linkage group. By interval analysis, one major quantitative trait locus for scab resistance explaining up to 60% of the genetic variation for scab resistance was identified. Some of the AFLP markers may be useful in marker-assisted breeding to improve resistance to scab in wheat.

Background: Genomic discovery in oat and its application to oat improvement have been hindered by a lack of genetic markers common to different genetic maps, and by the difficulty of conducting whole-genome analysis using high-throughput markers. This study was intended to develop, characterize, and apply a large set of oat genetic markers based on Diversity Array Technology (DArT).

Hexaploid oat (Avena sativa L., 2n = 6x = 42) is a member of the Poaceae family and has a large genome (~12.5 Gb) containing 21 chromosome pairs from three ancestral genomes. Physical rearrangements among parental genomes have hindered the development of linkage maps in this species. The objective of this work was to develop a single high-density consensus linkage map that is representative of the majority of commonly grown oat varieties. Data from a cDNA-derived single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) were collected from the progeny of 12 biparental recombinant inbred line populations derived from 19 parents representing oat germplasm cultivated primarily in North America. Linkage groups from all mapping populations were compared to identify 21 clusters of conserved collinearity. Linkage groups within each cluster were then merged into 21 consensus chromosomes, generating a framework consensus map of 7202 markers spanning 2843 cM. An additional 9678 markers were placed on this map with a lower degree of certainty. Assignment to physical chromosomes with high confidence was made for nine chromosomes. Comparison of homeologous regions among oat chromosomes and matches to orthologous regions of rice (Oryza sativa L.) reveal that the hexaploid oat genome has been highly rearranged relative to its ancestral diploid genomes as a result of frequent translocations among chromosomes. Heterogeneous chromosome rearrangements among populations were also evident, probably accounting for the failure of some linkage groups to match the consensus. This work contributes to a further understanding of the organization and evolution of hexaploid grass genomes.

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe (telomorph =Gibberella zeae (Schw.)), is an important wheat disease world‐wide. Production of deoxynivalenol (DON) by F. graminearum in infected wheat grain is detrimental to livestock and is also a safety concern in human foods. An international collection of 116 wheat lines was evaluated for FHB resistance and concentration of DON in grain. Plants were inoculated with mixed isolates of F. graminearum in the greenhouse by injecting conidia into a single spikelet of each spike and in the field by scattering F. graminearum‐infected wheat kernels on the soil surface. FHB symptoms were evaluated by visual inspection in both the greenhouse and field, and DON was analysed by HPLC. Significant differences in FHB ratings and DON levels were observed among cultivars. In the greenhouse test, visual symptoms varied from no spread of FHB from the inoculated spikelet to spread throughout the spike, and DON levels ranged from trace levels to 283 mg/kg. In the field test, DON ranged from 2.8 to 52 mg/kg. The greenhouse test identified 16 wheat lines from various origins that accumulated less than 2 mg/kg DON. These lines may be useful as sources for breeding wheat cultivars with lower DON levels. Correlation coefficients were significant between FHB symptom ratings, seed quality traits, and DON levels. Thus, the percentage of scabbed spikelets and kernels can be generally used to predict DON levels in harvested wheat grain. In breeding programmes, selection for plants having few scabbed spikelets and scabbed kernels is most likely to result in low DON levels.