Association mapping for detecting QTLS for fusarium head blight and yellow rust resistance in bread wheat

Abstract

Yellow rust (YR), caused by Puccinia sthiformis, and Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, are two of the most important wheat diseases in the world. Both pathogens cause severe losses in yield and in the case of FHB, there is an additional concern related with mycotoxin production, which induces serious toxicological problems in human and animals. Breeding for resistance for both diseases has been considered as the most practical strategy of control. To identify sources of resistance and detect regions responsible of resistance to these diseases in wheat germplasm, an association mapping panel (AMP) of 297 spring wheat lines developed by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) was assembled. The AMP was evaluated for resistance to P. striiformis and F. graminearum in Mexico and Ecuador over two years. The AMP was screened with 8,632 SNP markers included in the wheat 9K chip from lllumina® and 66 SSR markers from the wheat consensus map.