Location: Crop Production and Protection
Project Number: 0500-00053-005-236-G
Project Type: Grant
Start Date: May 1, 2026
End Date: Apr 30, 2030
Objective:
Breeding FHB-resistant varieties is essential to maintain wheat competitiveness. The project will develop and release hard winter wheat and winter durum cultivars with FHB resistance for the US Great Plains by increasing the frequency of major and minor resistance genes, implementing genomic/phenomics prediction strategies, and coordinating regional FHB nurseries.
Approach:
Screen advanced, preliminary lines in mist-irrigated-inoculated nurseries, use disease incidence, Fusarium Damaged Kernel, and DON quantification for phenotypic selection. Further use speed breeding, genomic prediction, and marker-assisted selection for pyramiding FHB resistance loci in winter wheat and durum. Also, evaluate entries in the regional FHB nursery and state variety trial.