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Combining ability analysis of resistance to head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum in spring wheat

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Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium spp. is one of the most important fungal diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in regions with wet climatic conditions. Improvement of the FHB resistance by developing new varieties requires sound knowledge on the inheritance of resistance. An 8 × 8 diallel analysis was performed to estimate general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability of resistance to FHB. The F1s and parental lines were evaluated under artificial inoculation at the experimental field of IFA-Tulln, Austria during 2001 and 2002. Disease severity was evaluated by repeated scoring of the percentage of infected spikelets and calculating an area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). The analysis of combining ability across two years showed highly significant GCA and non-significant SCA effects indicating the importance of additive genetic components in controlling FHB resistance. The significant GCA-by-year interaction presented the role of environmental factors in influencing the FHB reaction of wheat lines. The comparison of the crosses with low FHB infection and GCA effects of their parents showed that such crosses involved at least one parent with high or average negative GCA effect. The results revealed that it is feasible to use highly or moderately resistant genotypes and conventional breeding methods to achieve genetic improvement of FHB resistance in spring wheat.

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Abbreviations

FHB:

Fusarium head blight

AUDPC:

area under the disease progress curve

GCA:

general combining ability

SCA:

specific combining ability

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ABRII, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran, Seed and Plant Improvement Institute Campus, Mahdasht Road, Karaj, Iran

    Mohsen Mardi, Behzad Ghareyazie & Nooshin Moshrefzadeh

  2. IFA-Tulln, Institute for Agrobiotechnology of Tulln, Department of Biotechnology in Plant Production, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, Tulln, Austria

    Hermann Buerstmayr, Marc Lemmens & Peter Ruckenbauer

Authors
  1. Mohsen Mardi
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  2. Hermann Buerstmayr
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  3. Behzad Ghareyazie
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  4. Marc Lemmens
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  5. Nooshin Moshrefzadeh
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  6. Peter Ruckenbauer
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Correspondence to Mohsen Mardi.

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Mardi, M., Buerstmayr, H., Ghareyazie, B. et al. Combining ability analysis of resistance to head blight caused by Fusarium graminearum in spring wheat. Euphytica 139, 45–50 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-004-2035-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-004-2035-4

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