Integration of QTL detection and marker assisted selection for improving resistance to Fusarium head blight and important agronomic traits in wheat

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most destructive wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) diseases worldwide. Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring FHB resistance followed by marker assisted selection (MAS) is an efficient approach to breed FHB-resistant varieties. In this study, 38 additive QTL and 18 pairs of epistatic QTL for FHB resistance were detected in four environments using a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from varieties Neixiang 188 and Yanzhan 1. Six QTL clusters were located on chromosomes 2D, 4B, 4D, 5A, 5D and 7B, suggesting possible polytrophic functions. Six elite lines with good FHB resistance and agronomic traits were selected from the same population using the associated markers. Our results suggest that MAS of multiple QTL will be effective and efficient in wheat breeding.