Abstract
Wheat is one of the most important staple foods worldwide. Its production is affected by foliar pathogens as rusts, powdery mildew and septoria tritici blotch (STB) and grain with mycotoxin accumulation as fusarium head blight (FHB). Developing cultivars with broad spectrum and/or polygenic resistance (by gene pyramiding) is the most effective, economic, and environmentally friendly way to durably control diseases. InnoResWheat will target valuable resistance sources already identified by partners to deliver molecular tools for durable resistance deployment. RUs will coordinate towards the understanding of the functional basis underlying resistance. InnoWheatRes relies on the huge collaborative research carried out by the international durum wheat research and breeding community.
Results achieved
Integrated multi-omics analyses (genomic, transcriptomic, and regulatory) enabled, for the first time, the systematic identification of the main determinants of resistance in durum wheat (QTLs, candidate genes, and biomarkers), providing a solid foundation for faster and more efficient breeding programs against Fusarium head blight, Septoria tritici blotch, and rust diseases. The use of advanced genomic technologies (GWAS, BSA-NGS, RNA-seq, and high-density mapping) has significantly expanded the catalog of resistance loci and alleles. Novel loci for FHB resistance have been identified, and key genes such as WheatPme-1 and WAKs, involved in plant defense responses, have been more precisely localized. Additional loci for Septoria and rust resistance have been identified in populations derived from landraces with high genetic diversity. In particular, the following have been identified: • New loci conferring resistance to Fusarium head blight from a segregating durum wheat population; • More precise localization of causal genes underlying FHB resistance: 1. WheatPme-1 (2AS), which catalyzes pectin demethylation, thereby influencing cell wall (CW) accessibility to fungal degrading enzymes (DEs); 2. WAKs (2AS), encoding enzymes that enable plant cells to perceive and respond to biotic stress signals from the external environment. Using five mapping populations derived from North African and Sicilian, Ethiopian, and Transcaucasian durum wheat landraces, the following were identified: • Several loci conferring partial resistance to Septoria leaf blotch; • Three major loci associated with resistance to leaf rust. These findings accelerate the identification and validation of candidate genes for breeding purposes, with tangible impacts including reduced fungicide use, lower production costs, increased yield stability, and environmental benefits. From a food safety perspective, improving resistance to Fusarium head blight will contribute to reducing mycotoxin (DON) contamination, thereby enhancing grain quality and market value. Overall, InnoResWheat represents a strategic advancement toward a more resilient, sustainable, and competitive cereal production system, with significant economic, environmental, and societal benefits.Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Marco Maccaferri
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari
Coordinatore:
Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro(Italy)
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 84.924,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
12/10/2023
Data di fine:
28/02/2026
