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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Plant Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #156325
Title: COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE UNIFORM REGIONAL SCAB NURSERY FOR SPRING WHEAT PARENTS UNDER DRYLAND AND MIST-IRRIGATED CONDITIONS

Author
item EVANS, C
item Garvin, David
item DILL-MACKY, R

Submitted to: National Fusarium Head Blight Forum
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2003
Publication Date: 12/13/2003
Citation: Evans, C.K., Garvin, D.F., Dill-Macky, R. 2003. Comparative evaluation of the Uniform Regional Scab Nursery for Spring Wheat Parents under dryland and mist-irrigated conditions. National Fusarium Head Blight Forum Proceedings. p. 245-249.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Wheat entries submitted to the 2003 Uniform Regional Scab Nursery for Spring Wheat Parents (URSN) were grown at two locations (St. Paul and Barnesville, MN) without mist-irrigation, to evaluate the efficacy of 'dryland' screening as a method for assessing variation in Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance. At anthesis, plots were inoculated with macroconidial suspensions, but they were not misted afterwards. Subsequently, the plots were evaluated for FHB incidence, FHB severity (on infected heads), FHB index (incidence x severity), and visually scabby kernels (VSK). Highly significant differences among wheat genotypes were detected at both locations for all variables measured. The correlation coefficient for FHB index between the two dryland locations was positive and highly significant (r = 0.77), as was the correlation for VSK (r = 0.77). Similarly, correlations calculated in a pairwise fashion for both FHB index and VSK between the dryland locations and three mist-irrigated locations (Brookings, South Dakota; St. Paul and Crookston, Minnesota) were all also highly significant and positive. In general, rankings of the most resistant and most susceptible check varieties included in the URSN were not different between the dryland and mist-irrigated locations. Dryland screening thus appears to hold promise as a method for evaluating FHB resistance in wheat that breeders and phytopathologists could successfully use over a wider range of locations with reduced access to labor and/or irrigation facilities.