Characterization of Agronomical and Quality Traits of Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for Fusarium Head Blight Pressure in Different Environments

Abstract

For food security, it is essential to identify stable, high-yielding wheat varieties with lower disease severity. This is particularly important due to climate change, which results in pressure due to the increasing occurrence of Fusarium head blight (FHB). The objective of this study was to evaluate the stability of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield under different environmental conditions. Twenty-five winter wheat varieties were evaluated under two treatments (naturally-disease infected (T1) and FHB artificial stress (T2)) during two growing seasons (2018–2019 to 2019–2020) in Osijek and in 2019–2020 in Tovarnik. The interaction between varieties and different environments for grain yield was described using the additive main-effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) effects model. The Kraljica and Fifi varieties were located near the origin of the biplot, thus indicating non-sensitivity to different environmental conditions. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to understand the trait and environmental relationships. PC1 alone contributed 42.5% of the total variation, which was mainly due to grain yield, 1000 kernel weight and test weight in that respective order. PC2 contributed 21.1% of the total variation mainly through the total sedimentation value, test weight, wet gluten and protein content ratio (VG/P) and wet gluten content, in descending order.

Photosynthetic Efficiency in Flag Leaves and Ears of Winter Wheat during Fusarium Head Blight Infection

“…According to FHB severity at 10 and 18 dpi and AUDPC for FHB severity as well as FHB incidence at 10 and 18 dpi and AUDPC for Type I resistance, Golubica and El Nino varieties were highly susceptible at both locations, while Galloper showed the highest level of FHB resistance among tested varieties, together with Kraljica at Tovarnik. The characterization of varieties from this study showed the expected response of yield and yield components under FHB stress which were much more reduced for susceptible varieties than for resistant varieties [44]. Moreover, yield reduction was stronger at location Tovarnik compared to Osijek.…”

“…In this study, the effect of Fusarium infection on photosynthesis was assessed by measuring ChlF in flag leaves and ears of six winter wheat varieties with different susceptibility to Fusarium infection [44]. According to FHB severity at 10 and 18 dpi and AUDPC for FHB severity as well as FHB incidence at 10 and 18 dpi and AUDPC for Type I resistance, Golubica and El Nino varieties were highly susceptible at both locations, while Galloper showed the highest level of FHB resistance among tested varieties, together with Kraljica at Tovarnik.…”

“…The experiment was conducted during the vegetative season 2019/2020 at two experimental locations: Osijek (45 09 E). Those two locations differ in soil type and climatic condition [44]. At Osijek, the soil is eutric cambisol (pHKCl-6.25, humus-2.00-2.20%), while Tovarnik has black soil chernozem (pHKCl-7.42, humus-2.75-3.00%).…”

“…Plants from untreated plots were used as a control in the experiment. Inoculum preparation and inoculation were performed as previously described [44]. Disease severity (general resistance) was estimated based on the percentage of bleached spikelets per plot according to a linear scale (0-100%) at 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26 days after inoculation.…”

“…Additionally, values for days when ChlF was recorded (10 and 18 dpi) are presented. Agronomical and quality traits for all varieties included in this study have been assessed at both Osijek and Tovarnik in season 2019/2020 [44]. The grain yield was measured by harvesting the whole area of each plot followed by correction to 14% moisture (on a wet basis) and expressed as dt ha −1 .…”