Search Articles

Home / Articles

Molecular Screening of Selected Wheat Genotypes for Fusarium Head Blight Resistance Genes

. Muhammad Amir Khan, Muhammad Aaqib, Muhammad Jawad, Jawad Ahmad, Irfan Ali, Imad Ud Din, Umair Hassan, Muhammad Haris, Fahim Ullah Khan & Inam Ullah


Abstract

Wheat, being economically important, is susceptible to various biotic and abiotic factors that can affect its yield. Biotic factors include pests and pathogens, while abiotic factors encompass temperature extremes, light, heat, salinity, and other stressors. One of the biotic stresses is Fusarium head blight (FHB), also known as head scab, a devastating fungal disease that affects small grain cereal crops such as wheat. In this study, we conducted molecular screening of 20 wheat varieties to detect FHB resistance genes. Specifically, we used SSR markers linked to three FHB resistance genes, namely GWM-644 (FHB-2), GWM-304 (FHB-5), and TaHRC-GSM (FHB-1). Among the tested varieties, 18 out of 20 genotypes showed presence of the GWM-644 marker linked to FHB-2, while 11 out of 20 genotypes exhibited presence of the GWM-304 marker linked to FHB-5. However, TaHRC-GSM linked to FHB-1 was not detected in any of the tested genotypes. Notably, 7 out of 20 wheat varieties showed presence of both FHB-2 and FHB-5 genes, constituting 20% of the total varieties, including Wadan, Israr Shaheed, Khaista-2017, NIFA Lalma, Seher 2006, Pakistan-2013, and Shahkar-13. These findings provide valuable insights for Fusarium head blight control and the potential utilization of these varieties in the field. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of molecular screening for detecting FHB resistance genes in wheat varieties and provides valuable information for the development of disease-resistant wheat cultivars, contributing to sustainable wheat production.

 

Index Terms- Wheat; Fusarium head blight; Disease resistance genes; SSR markers; PCR

Download :