Combining ability of resistance to head blight caused by Fusarium culmorum (W.G. Smith) in the F1 of a seven parent diallel of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

• Published in: Euphytica Vol. 110; no. 3; pp. 199 - 206
• Main Authors: BUERSTMAYR, H, LEMMENS, M, BERLAKOVICH, S, RUCKENBAUER, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 1999; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Crop diseases; Cultivars; Disease control; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Genotypes; Inbreeding; Mycotoxins; Pest resistance; Plant pathogens; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; Wheat; Winter wheat; Monocotyledones; Diallel analysis; Varietal selection; Cereal crop; Heterosis; Fungi; Combining ability; Fusarium culmorum; Disease resistance; Sensitivity resistance; Gramineae; Angiospermae; Genetic improvement; Spermatophyta; Fungi Imperfecti; Triticum aestivum; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0014-2336; 1573-5060
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1003757002052

Fusarium head blight (FHB, scab) caused by Fusarium spp. is a widespread disease of cereals causing relevant yield and quality losses and contaminating cereal products with mycotoxins. Breeding resistant cultivars is the method of choice for controlling the disease. Resistance to FHB is a quantitative trait and is most likely governed by several genes. We present the results of an F^sub 1^ diallel analysis of FHB resistance involving six resistant and one susceptible European winter wheat genotypes of diverse origin in order to identify promising combinations for the selection of improved cultivars. Parents and F^sub 1^s including reciprocals were evaluated for FHB resistance in an artificially inoculated field trial. Two traits were assessed: visual disease symptoms on the heads and the percentage of Fusarium damaged kernels in a harvested sample. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects were statistically significant for visual symptoms and kernel damage, whereas reciprocal effects were small or not significant. Heterosis for resistance was common, indicating that the parental genotypes possess different resistance genes. Selection of transgressive segregates should be feasible from such heterotic combinations.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]