Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Population parameters for resistance to Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides ear rot among large sets of early, mid-late and late maturing European maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Theoretical and Applied Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Infection of maize ears with Fusarium graminearum (FG) and Fusarium verticillioides (FV) reduces yield and quality by mycotoxin contamination. Breeding and growing varieties resistant to both Fusarium spp. is the best alternative to minimize problems. The objectives of our study were to draw conclusions on breeding for ear rot resistance by estimating variance components, heritabilities and correlations between resistances to FV and FG severity and to investigate different inoculation methods. In 2007 and 2008, three maturity groups (early, mid-late, late) each comprising about 150 inbred lines were tested in Germany, France, Italy, and Hungary according to their maturity group. They were silk channel inoculated by FG (early) and FV (all groups). In the late maturity group, additionally kernel inoculation was applied in a separate trial. The percentage of mycelium coverage on the ear was rated at harvest (0–100%). Significant (P < 0.01) genotypic variances of ear rot severity were found in all groups. Inoculation was superior to natural infection because of higher disease severities and heritabilities. In early maturing flints and dents, FG caused significantly (P < 0.01) higher ear rot severity than FV (61.7 and 55.1% FG vs. 18.2 and 11.1% FV ear rot severity, respectively). FV inoculation in Southern Europe (mid-late, late) resulted in similar means between 10.3 and 14.0%. Selection is complicated by significant (P < 0.01) genotype × environment interactions. Correlation between FG and FV severity was moderate in flints and dents (r = 0.59 and 0.49, respectively) but lines resistant to both fungi exist. We conclude that chances for selecting improved European elite maize material within the existing germplasms is promising by multi-environmental inoculation trials.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bacon CW, Glenn AE, Yates IE (2008) Fusarium verticillioides: managing the endophytic association with maize for reduced fumonisins accumulation. Toxin Rev 27:411–446

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bottalico A (1998) Fusarium diseases of cereals: species complex and related mycotoxin profiles, in Europe. J Plant Pathol 80:85–103

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chungu C, Mather DE, Reid LM, Hamilton RI (1996a) Comparison of techniques for inoculating maize silk, kernel, and cob tissues with Fusarium graminearum. Plant Dis 80:81–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Chungu C, Mather DE, Reid LM, Hamilton RI (1996b) Inheritance of kernel resistance to Fusarium graminearum in maize. J Hered 87:382–385

    Google Scholar 

  • Clements MJ, Kleinschmidt CE (2003) Evaluation of inoculation techniques for Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin contamination of corn. Plant Dis 87:147–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clements MJ, Maragos CM, Pataky JK, White DG (2004) Sources of resistance to fumonisin accumulation in grain and Fusarium ear and kernel rot of corn. Phytopathol 94:251–260

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhillon BS, Utz HF, Pollmer WG, Gurrath PA, Klein D (1991) Evaluation of environments for preliminary testing of maize for yield and stover digestibility. Euphytica 54:19–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding J-Q, Wang X-M, Chander S, Yan J-B, Li J-S (2008) QTL mapping of resistance to Fusarium ear rot using a RIL population in maize. Mol Breed 22:395–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fehr WR (1987) Principles of cultivar development, vol 1. Theory and technique. Macmillan Publishing Comp, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gelderblom WCA, Marasas WFO, Vleggaar R, Thiel PG, Cawood ME (1992) Fumonisins: isolation, chemical characterization and biological effects. Mycopathologia 117:11–16

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Görtz A, Oerke E-C, Steiner U, Waalwijk C, Vries I, Dehne H-W (2008) Biodiversity of Fusarium species causing ear rot of maize in Germany. Cereal Res Commun 36:617–622

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hau B, Kranz J (1989) Fehler beim Schätzen von Befallsstärken bei Pflanzenkrankheiten. J Plant Dis Prot 96:649–674

    Google Scholar 

  • Knapp SJ, Bridges WC (1987) Confidence interval estimators for heritability for several mating and experimental designs. Theor Appl Genet 73:759–763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemmens M (1999) Anwendung künstlicher Inokulationsmethoden zur Kolbenfusariose-Resistenzbestimmung bei Mais. Bericht über die 50.Arbeitstagung 1999 der Vereinigung österreichischer Pflanzenzüchter, BAL Gumpenstein, 23–25 Nov 1999, pp 55–62

  • Logrieco A, Mulé G, Moretti A, Bottalico A (2002) Toxigenic Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with maize ear rot in Europe. Eur J Plant Pathol 108:597–609

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller JD (1994) Epidemiology of Fusarium ear diseases of cereals. In: Miller JD, Trenholm HL (eds) Mycotoxins in grain—compounds other than aflatoxin. St. Paul, Minnesota, pp 19–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller JD (2001) Factors that affect the occurrence of fumonisin. Environ Health Persp 109:321–324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mode CJ, Robinson HF (1959) Pleiotropism and the genetic variance and covariance. Biometrics 15:518–537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munkvold GP (2003) Epidemiology of Fusarium diseases and their mycotoxins in maize ears. Eur J Plant Pathol 109:705–713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Brito D, Jeffers D, de González-León D, Khairallah M, Cortés-Cruz M, Velázquez-Cardelas G, Azpíroz-Rivero S, Srinivasan G (2001) QTL mapping of Fusarium moniliforme ear rot resistance in highland maize, mexico: Cartografía de qtl de la resistencia a la pudrición de la mazorca (Fusarium moniliforme) en maíz de valles altos, méxico. Agrocencia 35:181–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Pestka JJ (2007) Deoxynivalenol: toxicity, mechanisms and animal health risks. Anim Feed Sci Tech 137:283–298

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Presello DA, Reid LM, Mather DE (2004) Resistance of Argentine maize germplasm to Gibberella and Fusarium ear rots. Maydica 49:73–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Presello DA, Botta G, Iglesias J, Eyhérabide GH (2008) Effect of disease severity on yield and grain fumonisin concentration of maize hybrids inoculated with Fusarium verticillioides. Crop Prot 27:572–576

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reid LM, Hamilton RI, Mather DE (1996a) Screening maize for resistance to Gibberella ear rot. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ottawa, ON. Tech Bull Publ 1996-5E

  • Reid LM, Stewart DW, Hamilton RI (1996b) A 4-year study of the association between Gibberella ear rot severity and deoxynivalenol concentration. J Phytopathol 144:431–436

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reid LM, McDiarmid G, Parker AJ, Woldemariam T, Hamilton RI (2001) CO430, CO431 and CO432 corn inbred lines. Can J Plant Sci 81:283–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid LM, Woldemariam T, Zhu X, Stewart DW, Schaafsma AW (2002) Effect of inoculation time and point of entry on disease severity in Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium verticillioides, or Fusarium subglutinans inoculated maize ears. Can J Plant Pathol 24:162–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid LM, McDiarmid G, Parker AJ, Woldemariam T (2003) CO441 corn inbred line. Can J Plant Sci 83:79–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid LM, Zhu X, Parker A, Yan W (2009) Increased resistance to Ustilago zeae and Fusarium verticilliodes in maize inbred lines bred for Fusarium graminearum resistance. Euphytica 165:567–578

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reif JC, Hamrit S, Heckenberger M, Schipprack W, Maurer HP, Bohn M, Melchinger AE (2005) Trends in genetic diversity among European maize cultivars and their parental components during the past 50 years. Theor Appl Genet 111:838–845

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reif JC, Fischer S, Schrag TA, Lamkey KR, Klein D, Dhillon BS, Utz HF, Melchinger AE (2009) Broadening the genetic base of European maize heterotic pools with US Cornbelt germplasm using field and molecular marker data. Theor Appl Genet. doi:10.1007/s00122-009-1055-9

  • Robertson LA, Kleinschmidt CE, White DG, Payne GA, Maragos CM, Holland JB (2006) Heritabilities and correlations of Fusarium ear rot resistance and fumonisin contamination resistance in two maize populations. Crop Sci 46:353–361

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robertson-Hoyt LA, Jines MP, Balint-Kurti PJ, Kleinschmidt CE, White DG, Payne GA, Maragos CM, Molnár TL, Holland JB (2006) QTL mapping for Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin contamination resistance in two maize populations. Crop Sci 46:1734–1743

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sampietro DA, Vattuone MA, Presello DA, Fauguel CM, Catalán CAN (2009) The pericarp and its surface wax layer in maize kernels as resistance factors to fumonisin accumulation by Fusarium verticillioides. Crop Prot 28:196–200

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (1996) SAS users guide. SAS Institute, Cary, NC

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaafsma AW, Nicol RW, Reid LM (1997) Evaluating commercial maize hybrids for resistance to Gibberella ear rot. Eur J Plant Pathol 103:737–746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaafsma AW, Tamburic-Ilincic L, Reid LM (2006) Fumonisin B1 accumulation and severity of Fusarium ear rot and Gibberella ear rot in food-grade corn hybrids in Ontario after inoculation according to two methods. Can J Plant Pathol 28:548–557

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Searle SR (1971) Linear models. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Searle SR, Casella G, McCulloch CE (1992) Variance components. Wiley, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Shelby RA, White DG, Bauske EM (1994) Differential fumonisin production in maize hybrids. Plant Dis 78:582–584

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Utz HF (1972) Die Zerlegung der Genotyp x Umwelt-Interaktionen. EDV in Medizin und Biologie 3:52–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Utz HF (2004) PLABSTAT. A computer program for statistical analysis of plant breeding experiments. Institute of plant breeding, seed science, and population genetics. University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Vigier B, Reid LM, Dwyer LM, Stewart DW, Sinha RC, Arnason JT, Butler G (2001) Maize resistance to Gibberella ear rot: symptoms, deoxynivalenol, and yield. Can J Plant Pathol 23:99–105

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Voss KA, Smith GW, Haschek WM (2007) Fumonisins: toxicokinetics, mechanism of action and toxicity. Anim Feed Sci Tech 137:299–325

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors like to thank the teams at all locations for their excellent technical assistance in data collection. We further thank Prof. Dr. M. Lemmens, IFA Tulln/Austria, for sharing his isolates and Dr. Lana Reid, AAFC, for sharing inbred lines with us. This project was financially supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF, Bonn) via PTJ (Jülich) and the KWS SAAT AG within the German–French–Spanish ERA-Net PG-CEREHEALTH Consortium (Project no. 0313992A).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Plant Breeding Institute, Universität Hohenheim (720), Fruwirthstraße 21, 70593, Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Germany

    Martin Löffler & Thomas Miedaner

  2. KWS SAAT AG, Grimsehlstraße 31, 37555, Einbeck, Germany

    Bettina Kessel & Milena Ouzunova

Authors
  1. Martin Löffler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bettina Kessel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Milena Ouzunova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Thomas Miedaner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Löffler.

Additional information

Communicated by M. Bohn.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Löffler, M., Kessel, B., Ouzunova, M. et al. Population parameters for resistance to Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides ear rot among large sets of early, mid-late and late maturing European maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines. Theor Appl Genet 120, 1053–1062 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-009-1233-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-009-1233-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation