Discovery and deployment of molecular markers linked to Fusarium head blight resistance: An integrated system for wheat and barley

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe [teleomorph Gibberella zeae (Schwein.)], is a devastating disease that reduces yield, quality and economic value of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The quantitative nature of resistance and tremendous expense of phenotypic screening indicate that the identification of resistant genotypes in breeding populations might be expedited by molecular markers. The markers must be polymorphic and informative across populations for them to be used by breeders. Worldwide, several groups are mapping genes for FHB resistance in wheat and barley and marker discovery is underway. Although these markers may be validated and made breeder-friendly by the laboratories that developed them, the urgency of the FHB situation in North America and worldwide requires efforts to accelerate this process. To take advantage of economies of scale and accelerate information sharing, we propose the establishment of a National Genotyping Center (NGC) for barley and wheat. The immediate objective of the NGC would be to identify and deploy breeder-friendly markers linked to FHB resistance quantitative trait loci (QTL). Over time, we propose that several regional genotyping centers will be established to correspond to regional and market class needs. The NGC would provide the regional centers with high throughput marker systems that would be used to genotype plants in breeding populations submitted by plant breeders. For the long term, we expect that the focus of the NGC will extend beyond FHB resistance, and that a key objective will be the development of new technologies to enhance plant breeding efforts.