Croatian Society of Food Technologists, Biotechnologists and Nutritionists
Abstract
Wheat is an important crop grown in Croatia, with production approximately 4 t ha-1 in average from 1996 till 2006. The main growing areas for wheat production in Croatia are situated in the eastern part of Croatia. Wheat plants are attacked by several Fusarium species responsible for diseases, such as seedling blight, crown or foot rot. The aim of this paper was to test agronomic and quality traits of wheat genotypes under Fusarium infection. In total 24 genotypes were evaluated in 2008/09 at the experimental fi eld of Agricultural Institute Osijek (Croatia). Wheat plants were inoculated with F. culmorum (first treatment), and the second treatment were control plots which were left to natural infection. Spray
inoculations were performed individually for each genotype at
flowering (Zadok’s scale 65) using a hand-held-sprayer. The genotypes Libellula, Divana, Soissons and Srpanjka showed smallest grain yield reduction in inoculation treatment as compared to the control treatment. Almost all genotypes had higher protein content, sedimentation value and wet gluten content under infection with F. culmorum (inoculation treatment). Low differences between control and inoculation treatments in quality traits had genotypes Sirban Prolifi k, Pipi and Super Zitarka. Also it is important to check dough reheological properties and baking performance in inoculation treatment. The obtained results in combination with phenotypic selection could be a strategy to develop genotypes with improved Fusarium resistance
