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Title: GENETIC CORRELATIONS AND HERITABILITY OF FUSARIUM EAR ROT RESISTANCE AND FUMONISIN CONTAMINATION RESISTANCE IN TWO MAIZE POPULATIONS.

Author
item ROBERTSON, L - NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
item KLEINSCHMIDT, C - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
item WHITE, D - UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
item PAYNE, G - NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV
item Holland, Jim - Jim

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2004
Publication Date: 10/20/2004
Citation: Robertson, L.A., Kleinschmidt, C.E., White, D.G., Payne, G.A., Holland, J.B. 2004. Genetic correlations and heritability of fusarium ear rot resistance and fumonisin contamination resistance in two maize populations [abstract].American Society of Agronomy.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum are fungal pathogens of maize that cause ear rot and contaminate the grain with fumonisins, a family of mycotoxins that adversely affect animal and human health. Objectives of this study were to estimate heritabilities of and the genotypic and phenotypic correlations between fumonisin concentration and ear rot in two segregating populations. In the (GE440 x FR1064) x GE440 backcross population, the estimate of genotypic correlation between ear rot and fumonisin concentration was 0.96 and the phenotypic correlation was 0.40. The heritability estimate when calculated on a family means basis was 0.75 for fumonisin contamination and 0.47 for ear rot. In the NC300 x B104 recombinant inbred line population, the estimate of genotypic correlation between ear rot and fumonisin concentration was 0.87 and the phenotypic correlation was 0.64. The heritability estimate when calculated on a family means basis was 0.86 for fumonisin contamination and 0.80 for ear rot. The moderate to high heritabilities and strong genetic correlations suggest that selection for reduced ear rot should be effective at producing fumonisin contamination resistant lines. Ear rot can be screened visually in the field, and so is a less costly and time consuming phenotype to measure than fumonisin contamination, which requires laboratory analysis of ground grain samples.