Integrated Disease Management of Fusarium Head Blight

Small grains crop yield and quality losses resulting from Fusarium head blight (FHB) continue to threaten the economic sustainability of many small grains producers in Minnesota. Spring wheat breeders have made some progress in developing cultivars with moderate levels of disease resistance, but increased resistance in barley has not been achieved. Crop rotation and a timely application of fungicide remain the most important disease management strategies for managing the disease on both cropping species. Fungicide efficacy trials were conducted during 2003 and 2004 to compare the current industry standard (tebuconazole) efficacy with those of two experimental fungicides. Experimental products with active ingredients of metconazole or tebuconazole + prothioconazole significantly reduced percent FHB severity of spring wheat. Disease severity means with these experimentals averaged 28.5% less than tebuconazole, and percent visually scabby kernel means were 47% less with the experimentals compared with tebuconazole. Results were not as definitive for spring barley. Numerical trends from fungicide treatments were similar to those in spring wheat, but data were not statistically significant. These data indicate increased FHB management in Minnesota can be expected when experimental fungicides with active ingredients of metconazole or prothioconazole are registered for use on spring wheat by the EPA. The results for spring barley emphasize the urgency of achieving an effective disease management strategy for FHB and underscore the need for additional research on the disease in Upper Midwest states. Accepted for publication 29 May 2006. Published 6 September 2006.

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Comparing Genetic Variation within Red Winter Wheat Populations with and without Image-Based Optical Sorter Selection

Al-Qadisiyah Journal For Agriculture Sciences (QJAS) (P-ISSN 2077-5822 E-ISSN 2617-1479) ◽

10.33794/qjas.vol9.iss2.82 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 266-277

Author(s):

Hussein M. Khaeim ◽

Anthony Clark ◽

Tom Pearson ◽

Dr. David Van Sanford

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Fusarium Head Blight ◽

Heading Date ◽

Fusarium Head Blight Resistance ◽

Gibberella Zeae ◽

Mass Selection ◽

Head Blight ◽

Red Winter Wheat ◽

Two Populations ◽

Head Scab

Head scab is historically a devastating disease affecting not just all classes of wheat but also barley and other small grains around the world. Fusarium head blight (FHB), or head scab, is caused most often by Fusarium graminearum (Schwabe), (sexual stage – Gibberella zeae) although several Fusarium spp. can cause the disease. This study was conducted to determine the effect of mass selection for FHB resistance using an image-based optical sorter. lines were derived from the C0 and C2 of two populations to compare genetic variation within populations with and without sorter selection. Our overall hypothesis is that sorting grain results in improved Fusarium head blight resistance. Both of the used wheat derived line populations have genetic variation, and population 1 has more than population 17. They are significantly different from each other for fusarium damged kernel (FDK), deoxynivalenol (DON), and other FHB traits. Although both populations are suitable to be grown for bulks, population 1 seems better since it has more genetic variation as well as lower FDK and DON, and earlier heading date. Lines within each population were significantly different and some lines in each population had significantly lower FDK and DON after selection using an optical sorter. Some lines had significant reduction in both FDK and DON, and some others had either FDK or DON reduction. Lines of population 1 that had significant reduction, were more numerous than in population 17, and FDK and DON reduction were greater.

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