Validation of Fusarium head blight resistance QTL using the NC-Neuse / Bess doubled haploid population

Authors: PETERSEN, S - North Carolina State University; LYERLY, J - North Carolina State University; MCKENDRY, A - University Of Missouri; NAVARRO, R - North Carolina State University; Cowger, Christina; Brown-Guedira, Gina; ISLAM, S - University Of Missouri; MURPHY, J - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: National Fusarium Head Blight Forum
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2014
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is one of the most damaging diseases of wheat. It lowers the grain yield and quality, and contaminates grain with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). In addition, the need for validation of mapped QTL remains an important research objective in order to use markers more efficiently in marker-assisted selection (MAS). The two cultivars ‘NC-Neuse’ and ‘Bess’ display moderate resistance to FHB. NC-Neuse was developed and released from North Carolina State University. Bess is one of the most FHB resistant lines in the Southeast, and is a full-sib of the cultivar ‘Truman’. Bess and Truman were both developed and released from the University of Missouri, and have similar resistance levels. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with FHB resistance in NC-Neuse were very recently identified and mapped to chromosomes 1A, 1B, 2A, 4A, 5B, and 6A (Abstract presented at this Forum also). The wheat breeding group at University of Missouri recently identified and mapped QTL associated with resistance in Truman (in press). The QTL were mapped to chromosomes 1B, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3B, 4B, 6B, and 7B. The objective of this study was to map QTL for FHB resistance in the NC-Neuse / Bess DH population, and use these results to validate FHB resistance QTL found in previous studies including NC-Neuse and Truman. A population of 100 doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from a cross between NC-Neuse and Bess was evaluated for FHB resistance over several years and locations. Suitable data for at least some FHB traits was collected from a total of seven environments. The FHB related traits evaluated were disease incidence (INC), severity (SEV), Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK), and accumulation of DON. Preliminary results showed QTL associated with one or more FHB resistance traits on chromosomes 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, and 6A. At the QTL on chromosomes 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 4B, and 6A the NC-Neuse allele conferred resistance. At the QTL on chromosomes 1B, 2B, 3B, and 5A, the Bess allele conferred resistance.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is one of the most damaging diseases of wheat. It lowers the grain yield and quality, and contaminates grain with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). Genetic resistance is a critical control measure and breeding objective. Many studies have focused on the genetic basis of FHB resistance in Asian wheat sources, while resistance in native sources has not been characterized as well yet. In addition, the need for validation of mapped QTL remains an important research objective in order to use markers more efficiently in marker-assisted selection (MAS). The two cultivars ‘NC-Neuse’ and ‘Bess’ display moderate resistance to FHB. NC-Neuse was developed and released from North Carolina State University. Bess is one of the most FHB resistant lines in the Southeast, and is a full-sib of the cultivar ‘Truman’. Bess and Truman were both developed and released from the University of Missouri, and have similar resistance levels. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with FHB resistance in NC-Neuse were very recently identified and mapped to chromosomes 1A, 1B, 2A, 4A, 5B, and 6A (Abstract presented at this Forum also). The wheat breeding group at University of Missouri recently identified and mapped QTL associated with resistance in Truman (in press). The QTL were mapped to chromosomes 1B, 2A, 2B, 2D, 3B, 4B, 6B, and 7B. The objective of this study was to map QTL for FHB resistance in the NC-Neuse / Bess DH population, and use these results to validate FHB resistance QTL found in previous studies including NC-Neuse and Truman. A population of 100 doubled haploid (DH) lines derived from a cross between NC-Neuse and Bess was evaluated for FHB resistance over several years and locations. Suitable data for at least some FHB traits was collected from a total of seven environments (2-3 reps/env). These included Kinston, NC in 2012, 2013, and 2014; Columbia, MO in 2012 and 2013; and Lake Wheeler, NC in 2013 and 2014. The FHB related traits evaluated were disease incidence (INC), severity (SEV), Fusarium damaged kernels (FDK), and accumulation of DON. Least squares means (lsmeans) were calculated from the phenotypic data within and across environments. In environments where heading date (HD) was significant, it was used as covariate in the data analysis and calculations of lsmeans. A linkage map containing a total of 4013 polymorphic SSR and SNP markers across 51 linkage groups was developed and utilized for mapping of QTL associated with FHB resistance in this population. QTL analysis using lsmeans from the phenotypic data (across and within individual environments) was conducted using Composite Interval Mapping (CIM) and then Multiple Interval Mapping (MIM) with WinQTLCart 2.5. The critical LOD value to declare QTL significance was 3.0, based on 1000 permutations. Preliminary results showed QTL associated with one or more FHB resistance traits on chromosomes 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, and 6A. At the QTL on chromosomes 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 4B, and 6A the NC-Neuse allele conferred resistance. At the QTL on chromosomes 1B, 2B, 3B, and 5A the Bess allele conferred resistance. Their LOD scores ranged from 3.13 to 10.33 with effects between 4.4-23.6%. An update on pertinent results and map comparisons will be presented at the Forum.