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Enhancing Fusarium crown rot resistance by pyramiding large-effect QTL in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

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Abstract

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) has become one of the most damaging cereal diseases in semi-arid regions worldwide. Targeting three large-effect QTL (located on the chromosome arm 3BL, 5DS and 2DL, respectively), we investigated the feasibility of enhancing FCR resistance by gene pyramiding. Significant effects were detected for each of the three QTL in both populations assessed. Lines with any combination of two resistant alleles gave significantly better resistance than those with a single resistant allele only and those without any allele, and lines possessing all three resistant alleles showed the best resistance. These results demonstrated that gene pyramiding can be an effective approach in improving FCR resistance. Those lines with resistant alleles from all three QTL could be valuable genetic stocks for breeding programs.

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Acknowledgements

Z. Zheng is grateful to the University of Western Australia and China Scholarship Council (CSC) for his PhD scholarships. The authors also wish to thank Caritta Eliasson for her technical supports.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Agriculture and Food, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia

    Zhi Zheng, Shang Gao & Chunji Liu

  2. National Foxtail Millet Improvement Centre, Institute of Millet Crops, Hebei Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China

    Zhi Zheng

  3. School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia

    Zhi Zheng, Guijun Yan & Chunji Liu

  4. University of Tasmania, School of Land and Food and Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Private Bag 54, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

    Shang Gao & Meixue Zhou

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  1. Zhi Zheng
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  2. Shang Gao
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  3. Meixue Zhou
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  4. Guijun Yan
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  5. Chunji Liu
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Correspondence to Chunji Liu.

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Zheng, Z., Gao, S., Zhou, M. et al. Enhancing Fusarium crown rot resistance by pyramiding large-effect QTL in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Mol Breeding 37, 107 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-017-0708-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11032-017-0708-7

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