Fusarium head blight resistance in F1hybrid spring wheat

Hybrid wheat shows promise to increase yield potential, but many questions remain about the hybrid system. One of the most important is how hybrids will perform in terms of diseases such as Fusarium head blight (FHB). It is unknown if a hybrid produced from a resistant by susceptible cross will express acceptable resistance levels. This experiment tested hybrids produced from four resistant parents crossed with a common susceptible parent (2398). The results indicated that the hybrids were resistant compared with the susceptible parent and mid-parent, while they were less resistant compared with their respective resistant parent. The hybrids were between the mid-parent and resistant parent in resistance to FHB traits. This may indicate that the resistance in the hybrids may be controlled by partial dominance gene action. The findings also indicated that accumulation of more resistance genes provided improved resistance to FHB. In conclusion, successful hybrids with a good level of FHB resistance could be produced through crossing parents with contrasting resistance to this disease.