Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Cereal Crops Improvement Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #421975
Research Project: Improvement of Disease and Pest Resistance in Barley, Durum, Oat, and Wheat Using Genetics and Genomics

Location: Cereal Crops Improvement Research

Title: Identification and molecular mapping of two quantitative trait loci for Hessian fly resistance in a durum × cultivated emmer wheat population

Author
item Anderson, Kirk
item HARRIS, MARION - North Dakota State University
item Fiedler, Jason
item Faris, Justin
item Xu, Steven
item Peters Haugrud, Amanda

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2025
Publication Date: 7/1/2025
Citation: Anderson, K.M., Harris, M.O., Fiedler, J.D., Faris, J.D., Xu, S.S., Peters Haugrud, A.R. 2025. Identification and molecular mapping of two quantitative trait loci for Hessian fly resistance in a durum × cultivated emmer wheat population. Crop Science. 65(4):70104. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70104.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.70104

Interpretive Summary: The world population is increasing, resulting in more people to feed and less land available for crop growth. Pasta, which is derived from durum wheat, is a major source of calories for many people. To feed more people, we need to increase crop yields, but crop yields are often decreased due to pathogens and pests. Here, research was conducted on a modern durum variety and a closely related relative known as emmer wheat to identify genomic regions associated with resistance to a common insect pest on wheat called Hessian fly. Two regions, one from the durum parent and one from the emmer parent, were identified to provide resistance to a North American population of Hessian fly. This research demonstrated that we have some resistance in the commonly grown durum wheat in the US, but there is other available resistance we can use to breed resistant durum. Findings from this study provide tools and resources for US and global breeding programs to reduce yield loss in durum wheat when Hessian fly is present in the field, which can help reduce food lose and price and provide food security.

Technical Abstract: Hessian fly (HF, Mayetiola destructor Say) is a major pest on wheat globally, infesting all species of wheat, including durum (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum L.) wheat. The North Dakota durum variety ‘Ben’ has been observed to be resistant to HF under field conditions, therefore we set out to identify and map the resistance gene(s) in this line by evaluating a recombinant inbred line population (referred to as BP025) consisting of 200 lines derived from a cross between Ben and the cultivated emmer (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum) accession PI 41025 for resistance to the HF Great Plains biotype. BP025 population seedlings were evaluated under growth chamber conditions for stunting score, larval mortality, and the percentage of resistant plants. Two significant quantitative trait loci (QTL), designated as QHf.fcu-2A and QHf.fcu-3B, were identified at the distal ends of chromosome arms 2AL and 3BS, respectively. QHf.fcu-2A had LODs of 18.59 and 21.49 for larval mortality and the percentage of resistant plants, respectively, with PI 41025 contributing the resistant allele. QHf.fcu-3B had an LOD of 14.69 and 13.81 for larval mortality and the percentage of resistant plants, respectively, with Ben contributing the resistant allele. Flanking markers were converted to KASP for QHf.fcu-2A and the proximal marker for QHf.fcu-3B for breeding use. The two HF resistance QTL identified in this study can be used to enhance HF resistance in durum breeding programs, and the markers can aid in the introgression of the QTL via marker-assisted selection.