ARS | Publication request: Development of Durum Wwheat Germplasm with Enhanced Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight Derived from Emmer Wheat

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 10, 2009
Publication Date: December 6, 2009
Citation: Xu, S.S., Friesen, T.L., Chu, C.C., Halley, S., Zhong, S.B., Cai, X., Elias, E.M. 2009. Development of Durum Wwheat Germplasm with Enhanced Resistance to Fusarium Head Blight Derived from Emmer Wheat. Fusarium Head Blight Forum Dec 6-9, 2009; Orlando, Fl. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky. Pg. 160

Technical Abstract: Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) is a unique class of commercial wheat specifically for making pasta products. Durum production has been seriously challenged by the Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease in the United States in the past decade. Although utilization of resistant cultivars is considered as an effective measure to control the FHB, the progress in development of resistant durum cultivars is limited due to the unavailability of high levels of FHB resistance in durum germplasm. We previously identified a number of cultivated emmer (T. dicoccum) and Persian wheat (T. carthlicum) accessions with increased levels of FHB resistance. These resistant tetraploid wheat accessions are currently utilized for developing durum wheat germplasm resistant to FHB. In this research, we selected five T. carthlicum and four T. dicoccum for introgression of the resistance into leading ND durum cultivars through double haploid (DH) and backcross methods. Over the past four years, we have developed 551 DH lines and 559 BC1-derived advanced (BC1F5 - BC1F8) lines from crosses with four leading ND durum cultivars Lebsock, Ben, Maier, and Mountrail. One DH line and five BC1-derived advanced lines have exhibited significantly improved resistance to FHB in the greenhouse and field evaluation for two years compared to their durum parents. These resistant lines are currently being used in a 2nd round of introgression and breeding for FHB resistance.