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| Breeding Home Page | Disease Resistance | |||
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Durum
Wheat |
Fusarium head blightSince 1993, Fusarium head blight (FHB) has cost over an estimated $3 billion in direct and indirect losses to North Dakota. Durum production in North Dakota has declined because of FHB. In 2001, North Dakota produced 0.9 million metric tons of durum wheat, 52% less than in year 2000 . The decline in harvested hectares and durum production in North Dakota has adversely affected its economy and has directly impacted the U.S. pasta industry and the international export market. Fusarium head blight reduces yield and the end-use quality of durum wheat. The fungus can produce mycotoxins particularly, trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON vomitoxin), that are hazardous to humans and other animals. Sources of resistance to FHB are available in hexaploid wheat. Sumai 3, a Chinese hexaploid wheat, is one of the most prominent sources examined for Type II resistance (spread of the disease in the infected heads). Sumai 3 has been widely used in the world as a source of resistance to develop FHB-resistant wheat cultivars. A source of resistance similar to Sumai 3 in durum wheat is not available. We have screened lines from North Dakota, Canada, CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico D.F., Mexico), ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Aleppo, Syria), and all accessions from the world collection which represents germplasm from the Mediterranean region (Italy, Spain, and Greece) and North Africa for FHB resistance. The accessions were obtained from the USDA National Small Grains Collection, and the project is funded by the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative. Our breeding efforts resulted in t releasing the Cultivar Divide in 2005 that has some level of resistance to FHB.
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