Molecular and phenotypic characterization of Chinese wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) cultivars for resistance to Fusarium head blight

To identify excellent cultivars resistant to Fusarium head blight (FHB), 104 wheat cultivars were tested by single-flower inoculation using two prevalent pathogens from 2018 to 2020. Agronomic traits were also investigated. Six FHB-resistance quantitative trait loci (QTL), Fhb1, Fhb2, Fhb4, Fhb5, Fhb7 and Qfhb.crc-2D, have been assessed using previously reported DNA markers. A diagnostic marker has been used for Fhb1, and indicative markers linked to the other QTL were used. Results showed that (i) 12 (11.5%) cultivars were resistant to two pathogens in 3 years; among them, 'Shengxuan 6', 'Wanhongbian 759', 'Yunong 903' and 'Yunong 901' had good agronomic traits. (ii) Among cultivars with one resistance QTL, the severities of cultivars carrying Fhb1 and Qfhb.crc-2D were 2.2 and 2.8, respectively, whereas those of cultivars with Fhb2 or Fhb7 were 3.6. Among cultivars with two resistance QTL, the severities of cultivars with Fhb1 + Fhb4, Fhb1 + Fhb7 and Fhb4 + Fhb5 were 2.2, 3.0 and 3.6, respectively. The severity of five cultivars possessing three or four resistance QTL was below 2.5. Fhb1 and Qfhb.crc-2D showed better resistance effects than other resistance QTL.