Analysis of the relationship between parameters of resistance to Fusarium head blight and in vitro tolerance to deoxynivalenol of the winter wheat cultivar WEK0609 (R)

Fusarium head blight (FHB) symptom development, relative spikelet weight (RSW), fungal DNA (FDNA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) content of grain was assessed in the FHB resistant winter wheat cv. WEK0609 and the FHB susceptible cv. Hobbit 'sib', and among doubled haploid progeny lines (DHLs) developed from a cross between these cultivars. In addition, the relationship between FHB resistance traits and germination on DON-containing medium (in vitro DON tolerance (IVDT)) was also investigated to assess the possibility of using this test as in vitro method of screening for FHB resistance in this cultivar. Analysis indicated that WEK0609 resistance significantly reduced symptom development, yield loss and the FDNA and DON content of grain relative to Hobbit 'sib'. Although both the DON and FDNA content were greater in susceptible than in resistant progeny lines, the ratio of DON to FDNA decreased with increasing susceptibility. The resistance derived from WEK0609 appears to have a greater effect on colonisation of the grain by the fungus than on the accumulation of DON within the grain. In vitro tolerance to DON does not appear to relate to FHB resistance in WEK0609 and thus does not provide a means of selecting for FHB resistance derived from this cultivar.