Breeding for FHB Resistance via Fusarium Damaged Kernels and Deoxynivalenol Accumulation as Well as Inoculation Methods in Winter Wheat

Abstract

FHB is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat. Resistance testing depends strongly on inoculation methods, and on measured traits. Therefore a four-year (2009-2012) study was performed using spray inoculation + polyethylene (PE) bag cover, spray inoculation + mist irrigation, and spawn method supported by mist irrigation on 40 genotypes, 20 from Hungary and 20 from IFA Tulln, Austria. Each year four isolates were used in artificial inoculations except the spawn method where stalk debris served the inoculum. Visual Fusarium head blight (FHB) scores, Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK) and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination were checked. 7680 FHB and FDK, as well as 3840 DON analyses served as the background for the statistical evaluation. The most reliable method used was the spray + polyethylene (PE) bag; the other two were significantly poorer being valid for all traits. The FHB scores were the least reliable, whereas the FDK was much more consequent and the DON gave the best results. The FDK gave much better predictions for DON contamination than FHB. The cultivars responses correlated well at different epidemic severities. The presence of the kernel resistance was confirmed and a new trait as extra kernel susceptibility was described. Presence of DON resistance was confirmed again, and extra DON susceptibility was described as a new trait. DON performance varied on the most sensitive cultivar between 0.32 and 143 mg/kg (mean 17.52 mg/kg) and on the most resistant genotype between 0.00 and 18.19 mg/kg (mean 1.87 mg/kg). Correlations between stability and resistance level are r = 0.85 for FHB, 0.78 for FDK, and 0.88 for DON, all at a significance level of p = 0.001. The very close correlation between FDK and DON contamination (r = 0.81, p = 0.001) proves that control of DON contamination needs appropriate resistance. In the breeding program evaluation of FDK is the most important, and then DON will be decided. Variety registration must be updated; otherwise no improvement on the field will occur.

Losses in the Grain Supply Chain: Causes and Solutions

“…Research has clarified that resistance is the most important toxin regulator [61,62,65,77,78]. However, large resistance differences occur, in wheat Fusarium head blight deoxynivalenol concentration varied between 5 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg at the higher epidemic pressure in 2001-2002 [78]. According to literature sources there is no effective means for solving toxin contamination before harvest Jans et al [79] stressing the preharvest prevention of disease and toxin by resistance.…”

Genome-wide Association Study and Genomic Prediction for Fusarium graminearum Resistance Traits in Nordic Oat (Avena sativa L.)

“…Besides the correlated agronomic traits, visually scored FHB and DON content have often been found to have a positive correlation in barley and wheat [59,60]. In oat, visual scoring has not been found to be a reliable method, because in the field, disease symptoms can easily be mixed with maturing spikelets [37,48,61].…”

“…Mycotoxins can be measured with different methods, such as chromatography [62,63] or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The level of Fusarium infection can be measured by growing seeds on a selective media and visually assessing the number of infected kernels (Fusarium-infected kernels, FIKs) [38,60,64] or with a real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time quantitative PCR = qPCR) by identifying the fungal DNA mass of a sample [65][66][67][68]. Type 3 resistance (kernel infection) has been quantified by a germination capacity assay [23].…”

Potential of Wide Crosses to Improve the Resistance to Vomitoxin Accumulation in Wheat Following Infection by Fusarium Head Blight

“…The correlation between FDK and DON is in the order of 0.81 [6] but they are much lower for incidence/severity and DON content, indicating that FDK and DON deserve additional atention as measures of FHB resistance.…”