A novel QTL conferring Fusarium crown rot resistance located on chromosome arm 6HL in barley

Abstract

Fusarium crown rot (FCR), caused primarily by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is a devastating disease for cereal production in semi-arid regions worldwide. To identify and characterize loci conferring FCR resistance, we assessed a landrace AWCS799 which is among the top lines identified from a screening. Genetic control of its resistance was investigated by generating and analysing two populations of recombinant inbred lines. One of the populations was used for QTL detection and the other for validation. A novel QTL, located on the long arm of chromosome 6H (designated as Qcrs.caf-6H), was consistently detected in each of the four trials conducted against the mapping population. The QTL explained up to 29.1% of the phenotypic variance and its effect was confirmed in the validation population. Significant interactions between this resistance locus and either plant height or heading date were not detected, further facilitating its manipulation in breeding programs. Key MessageThis study identified and validated a novel and large-effect QTL conferring Fusarium crown rot resistance on the long arm of chromosome 6HL in barley.