Characterization of new sources of fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance and introgress it in to Saskatchewan elite wheat cultivars

小麦（Triticum aestivum L.）是加拿大的主要作物，种植面积超过1000万公顷，过去三年总产量为2750万至2920万吨（匿名2016）。2013年，加拿大是全球第六大小麦生产国和第三大小麦出口国（2000万吨，价值65亿美元）。小麦是加拿大农业经济和粮食生产的主要贡献者。小麦赤霉病是小麦和其它谷物的主要病害之一。在过去的十年里，FHB在加拿大西部逐渐从东向西发展。在萨斯喀彻温省，镰刀菌属（Fusarium spp.）2014年收获的受感染谷物是2013年的两倍或更多。镰刀菌感染不仅破坏种子发育和降低产量，而且通过用真菌毒素污染谷物而使谷物不适合人类食用。FHB的破坏性影响贯穿于小麦价值链的每个阶段，从生产、贸易、食品、饲料、加工、国内和国际贸易。因此，多年来加拿大FHB进展的增加是粮食生产者，科学家和政府非常关注的问题。改善作物管理措施和增强寄主抗病性是控制小麦赤霉病的两大策略。该项目的重点是开发抗赤霉病小麦种质以对抗赤霉病感染。一种新的基于实验室的方法已经发展到创建遗传变异和筛选小麦赤霉病抗性基因型。该方法已用于鉴定赤霉病抗性小麦品系和表征赋予赤霉病抗性的基因。小麦赤霉病抗性基因的DNA分子标记已经发展起来。FHB抗性品系将与加拿大优良小麦品种杂交，以开发适应加拿大条件的FHB抗性小麦品种。DNA标记将用于标记辅助选择方法，以加速时间表开发FHB品种。该项目的成功完成将使FHB小麦品种能够以环境友好的方式对抗FHB感染。

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a major crop in Canada grown over 10 million hectares with a total production of 27.5 to 29.2 million tonnes during the last three years (Anonymous 2016). Globally Canada is the sixth major producer and third major exporter (20 million tons worth $6.5 billion) of wheat during 2013. Wheat is a major contributor to Canadian agricultural economy and food production. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the major diseases of wheat and other cereals. In Western Canada over the last decade, FHB has been gradually progressing from east to west. In Saskatchewan, Fusarium spp. infected grains harvested during 2014 were two times or more than those in 2013. Fusarium infection not only disrupts seed development and lowers yield but also makes the grain unfit for human consumption by contaminating grains with fungal toxins. The devastating effects of FHB persists through every stage of the wheat value chain from production, trade, food, feed, processing, domestic and international trade. Therefore, increasing FHB progression over the years in Canada is a matter of great concern to grain producers, scientists and government. Improving crop management practices, and strengthening host resistance, are the two major strategies to control wheat FHB infection. The proposed project focuses on developing FHB resistant wheat germplasm to combat FHB infection. A novel laboratory based method has been developed to create genetic variation and screen wheat genotypes for FHB resistance. The method has been used to identify FHB resistant wheat lines and characterize genes conferring the FHB resistance. DNA markers have been developed for FHB resistant genes in wheat. The FHB resistant lines will be crossed with elite Canadian wheat cultivars to develop FHB resistant wheat cultivars adapted to Canadian conditions. DNA markers will be used in a marker assisted selection approach to develop FHB cultivars in an accelerated time schedule. Successful completion of this project will result in FHB wheat cultivars that can combat FHB infection in an environmentally friendly manner.