Molecular cytogenetic analysis of a durum wheat x Thinopyrum distichum hybrid used as a new source of resistance to Fusarium head blight in the greenhouse

Fusarium head blight (FHB, scab), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, is a serious and damaging disease of wheat. Although some hexaploid wheat lines express a good level of resistance to FHB, the resistance available in hexaploid wheat has not yet been transferred to durum wheat. A germplasm collection of Triticum durum x alien hybrid lines was tested as a potential source of resistance to FHB under controlled conditions. Their FHB reaction was evaluated in three tests against conidial suspensions of three strains of F. graminearum at the flowering stage. Two T. durum x Thinopyrum distichum hybrid lines, 'AFR4' and 'AFR5', expressed a significantly higher level of resistance to the spread of FHB than other durum-alien hybrid lines and a resistant common wheat line 'Nyu-Bay'. Genomic in situ hybridization using total genomic DNA from alien grass species demonstrated that 'AFR5' had 13 or 14 alien genome chromosomes plus 27 or 28 wheat chromosomes, while 'AFR4' had 22 alien genome and 28 wheat chromosomes. All of the alien chromosomes present in these two lines belonged to the J genome. 'AFR5' is likely to be more useful as a source of FHB resistance than 'AFR4' because of its relatively normal meiotic behaviour, high fertility and fewer number of alien chromosomes. 'AFR5' shows good potential as a source for transferring FHB resistance gene into wheat. The development of T. durum addition lines carrying resistance genes from 'AFR5' is underway.