Wheat breeding for tolerance to drought stress at the Cereal Research Non-Profit Company

As selection methods for drought tolerance of wheat, water retention ability, chemical desiccation tests, determination of water relation parameters and carbohydrate accumulation were applied in the breeding system from the start of the breeding among the crossing partners until the last steps on the advanced lines before entering them in official yield performance trials

Breeding wheat for tolerance to drought at the cereal research non-profit company

At the Cereal Research Non-Profit Co. two decades ago we developed a selection program for drought tolerance of wheat by the chemical desiccation method and the flag leaves’ water retention ability (CSEUZ ET AL., 2002). As our testing methods were developing, after we started irrigation tests, we begin to select for drought tolerance by the remote thermometry of canopy surface (photosynthetic activity during drought stress). Since the year 2006 a mobile automatic rain shelter helps the selection for the tolerance to water shortages per se in the field. In this test we evaluate 50-60 advanced wheat lines together the check varieties are planted under the rain shelter and in the control (irrigated) treatment yearly. The 0.33 m2 plots are planted in three replications in both treatments. During the life cycle of the genotypes we evaluate the changes of the most important agronomy characters (plant height, heading and flowering date, canopy temperature measurements data, thousand kernel mass, and grain yield) due to the water withdrawal. Also important information can be got from the multi-location yield trials especially at drier locations and/or in drier years. The advance in drought tolerance can be found among our latest registered wheat varieties and numerous new winter wheat candidates with a higher level of adaptability to dry environments: wheat varieties GK Csongrád (2001), GK Hunyad (2005), GK Békés (2005), GK Csillag (2005), GK Berény (2010) are reputed tolerant, and performed very well under stress conditions, too

Population structure and genetic association studies in wheat

To define genetic diversity and population structure among a collection of wheat cultivars and lines of mainly European origin, Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) technology was used to characterize a population of 95 bread wheat genotypes. In total, 860 of 960 tested markers were polymorphic and could be used for further analysis. Four subgroups of wheat genotypes were identified using Neighbor Joining (NJ) cluster analysis. Two of this subgroups comprised mainly varieties from Hungarian breeding programs (GrI, GrII); one subgroup contained varieties from Western Europe (Grill) and one contained varieties with various origin (GrIV). GrI mainly contained genotypes originated from crosses including GK Kincső (Arthur 71/Sava) as one of the parents, or derivatives of this genotype. The results of this study should provide valuable information for future association mapping studies using this wheat collection. Furthermore, the genetic diversity and distance data combined with specific genotype data can be used by breeders to guide selection of crossing parents

Population structure and genetic association studies in wheat

To define genetic diversity and population structure among a collection of wheat cultivars and lines of mainly European origin, Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) technology was used to characterize a population of 95 bread wheat genotypes. In total, 860 of 960 tested markers were polymorphic and could be used for further analysis. Four subgroups of wheat genotypes were identified using Neighbor Joining (NJ) cluster analysis. Two of this subgroups comprised mainly varieties from Hungarian breeding programs (GrI, GrII); one subgroup contained varieties from Western Europe (Grill) and one contained varieties with various origin (GrIV). GrI mainly contained genotypes originated from crosses including GK Kincső (Arthur 71/Sava) as one of the parents, or derivatives of this genotype. The results of this study should provide valuable information for future association mapping studies using this wheat collection. Furthermore, the genetic diversity and distance data combined with specific genotype data can be used by breeders to guide selection of crossing parents

Natural fusarium toxin contamination of wheat in Southern part of Hungary

Fusarium head blight (FHB), primarily caused by a fungal plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum, is a devastating disease of wheat and other cereals. FHB reduces yield, but also the quality and feeding value of the crop. The fungus produces the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) that poses a significant threat to the health of domestic animals and humans. In 2019 Fusarium epidemic occurred not only the southern and eastern parts of Hungary, but affected other area of Central Europe. The mycotoxin patterns varied tremendously, depending on the geographic area, different resistance levels of wheat genotypes, weather and soil conditions and cropping factors. In this survey 192 samples of different bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes from three geographically different regions were tested for DON toxin contamination by HPLC-MS method. Average levels of mycotoxin contamination 3.80 mg/kg; it is three times higher than the European maximum limit for unprocessed cereals intended for human consumption. The content range is very wide (0.15 – 20.71 mg/kg), 76% of the samples exceeded the EU risk threshold level

Testing the stability of grain yield and bread-making quality of wheat varieties in two different years

25 winter-type bread wheat genotypes were evaluated in two consecutive years (2010 and 2011) in the nursery of Cereal Research Non-Profit Company (CRNPC) to test the stability of grain yield and quality traits of CRNPC-bred varieties. In spite of the earlier trends the extremely wet 2010 year’s grain yield became significantly lower and bread-making quality proved to be poorer than in the dry 2011 year. The most significant reasons of those found to be the very strong disease (mostly leaf rust and Fusarium) infection pressure in the highly precipitated 2010 year. Other, minor reasons were water logging stress, and harvest deficits due to the remarkable lodging of wheat. Stability of grain yield and different quality traits (wet gluten content, gluten stability, kernel hardness, farinograph water absorption, farinograph value, Zeleny-value, falling number) were evaluated by regression calculations to test the varieties’ adaptability to the different year effects. In case of yield, a wide variation was found in stability of grain output. In cases of quality traits, the most sensitive traits were falling number, farinograph water absorption and developing time of dough