Comparative analysis of distinct phenotyping methods for assessing wheat resistance and pathogen virulence among Fusarium species causing head blight disease

Authors: RAFIEEBANADAKI, VAHIDEHALSADAT - Swedish University Of Agricultural Sciences; DEGENRING, LIZA - University Of Minnesota; Schwister, Erin; Elmore, James; DUBEY, MUKESH - Swedish University Of Agricultural Sciences; KARLSSON, MAGNUS - Swedish University Of Agricultural Sciences; Drott, Milton

Submitted to: Plant Methods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2025
Publication Date: 6/16/2025
Citation: Rafiei, V., DeGenring, L., Schwister, E.M., Elmore, J.M., Dubey, M., Karlsson, M., Drott, M.T. 2025. Comparative analysis of distinct phenotyping methods for assessing wheat resistance and pathogen virulence among Fusarium species causing head blight disease. Plant Methods. 21. Article 85. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-025-01402-8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-025-01402-8

Interpretive Summary: Developing disease resistant crops is an important management strategy, particularly in the context of global environmental changes, as they reduce reliance on chemical treatments and mitigate the risk of plant disease outbreaks. Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), caused by a complex of Fusarium species, is among the most devastating cereal diseases, leading to significant economic losses and contamination with harmful mycotoxins, affecting cereal production and posing risks to human health globally. The substantial inter- and intraspecific variability in the virulence of FHB species complex, combined with the absence of consistent, high-throughput screening methods, has hindered the development of resistant cultivars. Similarly, large-scale virulence testing remains labor-intensive and time-consuming. This study addresses these challenges by exploring the efficacy of detached leaf, coleoptile, and seedling assays as alternative methods for establishing the virulence of different Fusarium species and differentiating susceptible and resistant wheat genotypes. These high-throughput assays were compared to the standard spike-infection assay that requires several months to complete. Two near-isogenic wheat lines, one harboring FHB resistance loci and one without, were used. The seedling and coleoptile assays showed strong concordance with the traditional spike-infection assay, accurately reflecting differences in disease severity across Fusarium species and between wheat lines. While the detached leaf assay provided some differentiation among species, it was less consistent in identifying differences between plant genotypes. These results establish the coleoptile and seedling assays as rapid, high-throughput alternatives for breeding programs, accelerating the identification of FHB-resistant genotypes and reducing the reliance on the labor-intensive spike assay.

Technical Abstract: Developing disease-resistant crops is a critical strategy for reducing reliance on chemical treatments and mitigating plant disease outbreaks, particularly amid global environmental changes. Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), caused by a complex of Fusarium species, is one of the most devastating cereal diseases, leading to significant economic losses and contamination with harmful mycotoxins that threaten global cereal production and human health. The high variability in virulence within the FHB species complex, coupled with the lack of efficient high-throughput screening methods, has impeded the development of resistant cultivars and made large-scale virulence testing labor-intensive and time-consuming. This study evaluates the efficacy of detached leaf, coleoptile, and seedling assays as high-throughput alternatives to the laborious standard spike-infection assay for assessing the virulence of Fusarium species and differentiating wheat genotypes by resistance or susceptibility. Two near-isogenic wheat lines, one harboring FHB resistance loci and one without, were used to assess the virulence of four Fusarium species. Different species varied significantly in virulence across studies with variation within assay suggesting differential host-tissue specificities and resistance mechanisms. The seedling and coleoptile assays showed strong concordance with the traditional spike-infection assay, accurately reflecting differences in disease severity across Fusarium species and between wheat lines. Conversely, the detached leaf assay provided some differentiation among species but was less consistent in identifying differences between plant genotypes. These results establish the coleoptile and seedling assays as rapid, high-throughput alternatives for breeding programs, accelerating the identification of FHB-resistant genotypes and reducing the reliance on the labor-intensive spike assay.