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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Cereal Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #298137
Title: Durum wheat genetic stocks involving chromosome 1E of diploid wheatgrass: Resistance to Fusarium head blight

Author
item Jauhar, Prem

Submitted to: The Nucleus
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/10/2014
Publication Date: 3/31/2014
Citation: Jauhar, P.P. 2014. Durum wheat genetic stocks involving chromosome 1E of diploid wheatgrass: Resistance to Fusarium head blight. Nucleus. 57:19-23.

Interpretive Summary: Durum wheat (also called macaroni or pasta wheat) has 28 chromosomes. It is a natural hybrid with two genomes (sets of chromosomes) that were derived from two wild progenitors during the course of evolution. Scab or Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a serious fungal disease that infects current durum cultivars. From 2008 onwards, in our Durum Germplasm Enhancement (DGE) project, we have crossed the durum cultivar Langdon with a related wild species, Lophopyrum elongatum, and produced the genetic stocks, the chromosome 1E addition (DGE-1), and two 1E substitutions called DGE-2, and DGE-3. FHB resistance of these genetic stocks was studied in the greenhouse in Fargo, and in the field at Prosper, North Dakota. In the greenhouse, the 1E addition showed 32.15% infection and was better than the parental cultivar Langdon with 58.73% infection, but not significantly different from 1E(1A) disomic substitution with 45.60 % infection. Under natural conditions in the field, the 1E addition DGE-1 had the lowest level of infection (at 10%) followed by the substitution 1E(1A) at 20%, and substitution E(1B) at 70%. The parental cultivar Langdon had 15% FHB infection in the field. The genetic stocks of durum may help produce several more alien addition and substitution lines involving different chromosomes from wild species and may help locate sources of FHB resistance.

Technical Abstract: Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L., 2n = 4x = 28; AABB genomes) is the preferred wheat for preparing pasta products. Current durum cultivars have little resistance to a ravaging fungal disease, Fusarium head blight (FHB), or scab. In our Durum Germplasm Enhancement (DGE) project, we previously showed that chromosome 1E of diploid wheatgrass (Lophopyrum elongatum (Host) Á. Löve (2n = 2x = 14; EE genome) is an excellent source of FHB resistance. Through hybridization of this grass with the durum cultivar Langdon, coupled with manipulation of chromosome pairing and selection, we added the chromosome 1E pair into the durum genome and produced a fertile durum 1E addition line, called DGE-1. Also by substituting 1E for the durum homoeologues 1A or 1B, we produced two fertile disomic substitution lines, 1E(1A) and 1E(1B), which were designated as DGE-2 and DGE-3, respectively. The level of FHB resistance of the genetic stocks was studied in the greenhouse and in the field at Prosper, North Dakota. In the greenhouse, the 1E addition showed 32.15% infection and was better than Langdon at 58.73%, but not significantly different from 1E(1A) disomic substitution at 45.60% infection. The 1E(1B) disomic substitution (88.29% infection) had the highest FHB infection. Under natural conditions in the field, the 1E addition DGE-1 had the lowest level of infection (at 10%) followed by the substitution 1E(1A) at 20%, and substitution E(1B) at 70%. The parental cultivar Langdon had 15% FHB infection. The genetic stocks of durum may help produce several more alien addition and substitution lines involving different chromosomes and may help locate sources of FHB resistance.