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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #291555

Title: Effect of fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance gene Fhb1 on agronomic and end-use quality traits of hard red winter wheat

Author
item BAKHSH, ALI - University Of Nebraska
item MENGISTU, NEWAY - Pioneer Hi-Bred International
item BAENZIGER, P.S. - University Of Nebraska
item DWEIKAT, I. - University Of Nebraska
item WEGULO, S.N. - University Of Nebraska
item ROSE, D. - University Of Nebraska
item Bai, Guihua
item ESKRIDGE, K.M. - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2012
Publication Date: 1/11/2013
Citation: Bakhsh, A., Mengistu, N., Baenziger, P., Dweikat, I., Wegulo, S., Rose, D., Bai, G., Eskridge, K. 2013. Effect of fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance gene Fhb1 on agronomic and end-use quality traits of hard red winter wheat. Crop Science. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2012.06.0364.

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium head blight (FHB), also called wheat scab, is a devastating disease of wheat. Fhb1, a FHB resistance gene from Chinese line Sumai3, is the gene that has shown the largest and most stable effect on FHB resistance. Transferring Fhb1 into hard winter wheat can significantly improve FHB resistance. To determine if the Fhb1 gene is associated with any deleterious effects on agronomic or end use quality traits in winter wheat, 42 entries from a three-way cross (‘Alsen’ / ‘NE00403’ // ‘NE02584’) with different alleles of Fhb1 were evaluated for yield and quality traits in replicated trials at five locations in Nebraska. Fhb1 lines were significantly more winter hardy, earlier, and higher in grain yield, but were lower in protein content as compared to susceptible lines.

Technical Abstract: Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease of wheat. Fhb1, a major gene that confers resistance to FHB, has been incorporated into spring wheat cultivars, but not into hard winter wheat cultivars in the northern Great Plains of the United States. Our objective was to determine if the Fhb1 gene itself has, or genes linked to Fhb1 have deleterious effects on agronomic or end use quality traits in winter wheat. Forty-two F3:7 entries from a three-way cross (‘Alsen’ / ‘NE00403’ // ‘NE02584’) and three check cultivars were divided into five genotypic classes: i) 20 Fhb1 lines, ii) one Fhb1 blend (a physical mixture of equal proportion of the 20 Fhb1 lines), iii) 20 fhb1 lines iv) one fhb1 blend and v) three adapted checks. The entries were evaluated for agronomic and endues quality traits in replicated trials at five locations in Nebraska. Contrasts of Fhb1 lines vs fhb1 lines showed that Fhb1 lines were significantly more winter hardy, earlier, and higher in grain yield, but were lower in protein content as compared to fhb1 lines.