Segregation for aggressiveness and deoxynivalenol production of a population of Gibberella zeae (Fusarium graminearum) causing head blight of wheat
- Publication Type
- Journal contribution
- Authors
- Cumagun, C.J.R., and T. Miedaner
- Year of publication
- 2004
- Published in
- Europ. J. Plant Pathol.
- Band/Volume
- 110/
- Page (from - to)
- 789-799
Gibberella zeae is a devastating pathogen of wheat and other small-grain cereals, causing yield losses and reducing grain quality by producing the trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON) which is harmful to animals and humans. We analyzed 153 progeny from a cross between two European DON-producing isolates of G. zeae for aggressiveness and DON production in three environments (location-year combinations) in Germany. Aggressiveness, measured as head blight rating and relative plot yield, and DON production showed continuous distribution for each environment and across environments. There was significant (P = 0.01) genotypic variation for all three traits. Transgressive segregants occurred for all three traits. Both repeatability estimates within an environment and heritability estimates on an entry-mean basis for head blight rating and DON production were medium to high (0.5-0.7). Progeny-environment interaction accounted for about 29% of the total variance for the two aggressiveness traits and 19% for DON production. The large genetic variation derived from a cross between two rather similar European parents indicates a potential for increasing fungal aggressiveness in the G. zeae population.