[Current status and perspective on research against Fusarium head blight in wheat].

Wheat is one of the most important food crops in China and worldwide. Wheat production is facing the stresses of different diseases including Fusarium head blight (FHB) which is more and more serious recently and leading to highly concerns. Unremitting efforts have been made on Fusarium head blight resistance breeding and comprehensive control technology development. Rapid progress has been achieved on discovering of resistant genetic resources, mapping of resistant QTL/genes, resistant QTL/genes cloning, gene functional research and molecular breeding. In this review, we summarize the current status of the research against FHB in wheat and discuss the issues of FHB resistance investigation to date. We also suggest emphasizing on gene cloning, developing more powerful functional markers, using haplotype-assisted selection (HAS) and marker-set-assisted selection (MSAS) for further deep FHB resistance study and breeding.

Genomic distribution of quantitative trait loci for yield and yield-related traits in common wheat.

A major objective of quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies is to find genes/markers that can be used in breeding programs via marker assisted selection (MAS). We surveyed the QTLs for yield and yield-related traits and their genomic distributions in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the available published reports. We then carried out a meta-QTL (MQTL) analysis to identify the major and consistent QTLs for these traits. In total, 55 MQTLs were identified, of which 12 significant MQTLs were located on wheat chromosomes 1A, 1B, 2A, 2D, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4D and 5A. Our study showed that the genetic control of yield and its components in common wheat involved the important genes such as Rht and Vrn. Furthermore, several significant MQTLs were found in the chromosomal regions corresponding to several rice genomic locations containing important QTLs for yield related traits. Our results demonstrate that meta-QTL analysis is a powerful tool for confirming the major and stable QTLs and refining their chromosomal positions in common wheat, which may be useful for improving the MAS efficiency of yield related traits.