COMBINATION OF 3 DIFFERENT METHODS OF IDENTIFICATION OF FHB RESISTANT VARIETIES FOR A QUICK SELECTION OF VARIETIES OF INTEREST IN A BREEDING PROGRAM

Abstract

Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium spp. is one of the major diseases that occurs on wheat in Lubumbashi, in D.R.Congo. Breeding for resistant cultivars is the most used method for controlling the disease although it is laborious, time-consuming and restricted by environmental symptom expression. In this study, 3 different methods of identification of FHB resistant varieties were used: field trials, artificial inoculations and molecular markers. The combination of all results showed that varieties used could be grouped in 4 classes: varieties possessing the major gene Fhb1 which confer a type II resistance to FHB on chromosome 3BS; varieties possessing a major gene of resistance to FHB on the chromosome 3A which confer a type I resistance and a minor gene on the chromosome 3B which contribute weakly to a type II resistance; susceptible varieties and varieties for which resistance were not clearly defined. The simultaneous use of these 3 methods can provide a new approach for a quick selection of varieties of interest in a breeding program.