ARS | Publication request: Use of an advanced intercross line population for mapping of quantitative trait loci for northern leaf blight resistance in maize and for the investigation of multiple disease resistance

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: December 1, 2009
Publication Date: March 1, 2010
Citation: Balint Kurti, P.J., Yang, J., Van Esbroek, G., Jung, J., Smith, M. 2010. Use of an advanced intercross line population for mapping of quantitative trait loci for northern leaf blight resistance in maize and for the investigation of multiple disease resistance. Crop Science. 50: 458-466

Interpretive Summary: Northern Leaf Blight (NLB-caused by Exserohilum turcicum) of maize (Zea mays L.) is an important fungal disease of maize in the U.S. and worldwide. The IBM population, an advanced intercross recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between the maize lines Mo17 and B73, was evaluated in three environments (Aurora, NY, in 2006 and 2007 and Clayton, NC in 2007) for two traits related to resistance to NLB; weighted mean disease (WMD) and incubation period (IP), and for days from planting to anthesis (DTA). Two WMD QTL in bins 2.00/2.01 and 4.08 were detected from the overall analysis, of these, only the QTL in bin 4.08 was detected in all three environments analyzed separately. Likewise, only one IP QTL, in bin 2.02, was detected in all three environments and from the overall analysis. Several environment-specific QTL for each trait were also detected. Several QTL for DTA were detected with the strongest effect detected in bin 8.05. Correlations between disease resistance traits and days to anthesis were uniformly low. The results from this study were compared to those of previous studies which used the IBM population to identify QTL for two other maize foliar diseases; southern leaf blight and gray leaf spot. Although we did not find QTL conferring resistance to all three diseases, significant correlations between resistances to these three diseases in the IBM population were identified, implying the existence of loci (and possibly genes) affecting resistance to all three diseases.

Technical Abstract: In this paper we identify regions of the genome conferring resistance to the corn disease, northern corn leaf blight. We also report evidence for the existence of genes conferring resistance to multiple diseases.