Research Project: Breeding Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) Resistant Spring Wheat

Location: Crop Production and Protection

Project Number: 0500-00053-005-182-G
Project Type: Grant

Start Date: May 1, 2026
End Date: Apr 30, 2030

Objective:
1. Develop Fusarium head blight resistant wheat germplasm and varieties adapted for commercial production in Minnesota and the surrounding region. 2. Characterize the level of FHB resistance of all wheat varieties grown in the region. 3. Use DNA markers to increase frequency of FHB QTLs in advanced lines.

Approach:
Our breeding program will use cross-breeding and multi-location testing to develop hard red spring wheat varieties with improved Fusarium head blight resistance and good adaptation to the North Central region of the U.S. and provide growers with FHB ratings of available varieties. The overall goal of this project is to develop spring wheat varieties with improved Fusarium head blight resistance and good adaptation to the North Central region of the U.S. and provide growers with FHB ratings of available varieties. The specific objectives of this research are to: 1) Develop Fusarium head blight resistant wheat germplasm and varieties adapted for commercial production in Minnesota and the surrounding region. The expected outcome of this objective is to release one new variety each year, on average, with at least moderate FHB resistance. In addition, our most advanced germplasm and lines with good FHB resistance are entered into regional nurseries and are made available to other breeders as crossing parents. 2) Characterize the level of FHB resistance of all wheat varieties grown in the region. The expected outcome of this objective is that seed producers and growers will be knowledgeable regarding the FHB reaction of currently available varieties (approx. 50 viable choices with 7-8 new varieties per year). 3) Use DNA markers to characterize potential parental lines and utilize MAS and genomic selection to increase frequency of FHB QTLs in advanced lines I expect that the results of this objective will allow us to discard FHB susceptible lines from our breeding program prior to field-based testing. Successful genomic selection for FHB at the F5 (pre-yield trial) stage should reduce the total number of rows in these nurseries by more than half, ultimately resulting in labor savings for our breeding program, but also the pathology programs supporting this research. We plan to accomplish these objectives by making approximately 300 new crosses per year, and screening lines for their FHB reaction in two misted, inoculated FHB nurseries. All experimental lines in yield trials and named varieties entered into the Minnesota spring wheat variety trial are tested in these nurseries each year. Varieties nominated for public release must have an FHB rating of 5 (MR/MS) or better. FHB reactions of the named varieties are published in print and electronic form each year. Genomic Selection will be used to discard approximately 1/3 of ~3,000 F5 lines that are predicted to be too susceptible to FHB. Growers and the entire wheat supply chain benefit from these activities by reducing losses due to FHB. Furthermore, other breeders can access our FHB resistant germplasm for use as crossing parents.