Efficiency of indirect selection for fusarium head blight resistance and mycotoxin accumulation in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat and can lead to significant yield losses as well as a contamination of the crop with mycotoxins that are a major concern in cereal-based food and feed products. The aims of this study were thus to investigate the relationship between resistance against multiple Fusarium species and to assess the potential of an indirect phenotypic and genomic selection for the resistance against the accumulation of several mycotoxins in wheat. Strong phenotypic and genetic correlations between the mycotoxin contents, FHB severity and FHB-associated traits were observed, irrespective of if traits were assessed in trials inoculated with a DON or HT-2/T-2 producing Fusarium species. A multi-stage phenotypic or genomic selection with low anther retention being used for an indirect selection among early generation selection candidates, followed by an evaluation of the pre-selected set in disease nurseries, and lastly by assessing the mycotoxin content of the most promising genotypes is suggested as a suitable strategy to breed for wheat cultivars with reduced risk of mycotoxin accumulation.