In order to implement the Action Plan for Revitalizing the Seed Industry and promote the breeding of new wheat varieties resistant to Fusarium head blight in China, under the leadership of the Seed Management Division and the Science and Technology Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Agricultural Biotechnology Breeding Project (Wheat), Agricultural Key Core Technology Research (Wheat), National Wheat Breeding Joint Research, and National Wheat Industry Technology System held the National Wheat Fusarium Head Blight Resistance Breeding Work Promotion Meeting in Yangzhou and Nanjing, Jiangsu Province from May 10th to 12th.
The meeting was hosted by the Crop Science Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (referred to as the Crop Institute), the Lixiahe Agricultural Science Research Institute in Jiangsu (referred to as the Lixiahe Institute), Nanjing Agricultural University, and the Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Over 300 participants from research institutes, universities, and enterprises nationwide attended the meeting.
A national conference on advancing the breeding of wheat resistant to Fusarium head blight was held. Image source: National Wheat Breeding Joint Research Group.
Liu Luxiang, Chief Scientist of the National Wheat Industry Technology System and researcher at the Institute of Crop Sciences, chaired a symposium on breeding wheat resistant to Fusarium head blight. Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chief Scientist of the National Wheat Breeding Joint Research Group, Xu Weigang, stated that Fusarium head blight of wheat is one of the biggest obstacles to China's food security. With the support of relevant departments, researchers have been organizing corresponding research efforts for decades. We are pleased to see significant progress in China's breeding work for Fusarium head blight resistance, achieving new breakthroughs in wheat variety selection and elevating the resistance level to a new height.
Researcher Sun Guozhong from the Institute of Crop Sciences chaired an academic exchange on the genetic improvement progress of wheat resistance to Fusarium head blight, with 12 experts presenting reports and engaging in in-depth discussions with attendees. The occurrence and prevalence of Fusarium head blight in wheat lead to yield and quality losses. Breeding and utilizing disease-resistant varieties are the safest and most cost-effective ways to control Fusarium head blight in wheat, while exploring and creating genetic resources resistant to Fusarium head blight form the basis of breeding. Researchers have identified a number of Fusarium head blight-resistant QTLs, obtained molecular markers closely linked to them, established a molecular breeding technology system for Fusarium head blight resistance, developed a series of resistant germplasms, and shared them among different wheat breeding units.
On May 11th, conference attendees visited the experimental base at Lixiahe. Researcher Gao Derong from Lixiahe introduced the main progress in breeding the Fusarium head blight-resistant variety "Yangmai," innovations in germplasm, new variety breeding, as well as the resistance identification of core materials in the national wheat breeding and key technology research.
The experimental base showcased the newly developed Fusarium head blight-resistant varieties "Yangmai 33" and "Yang 19132" by the Lixiahe wheat team. Researchers based the disease-resistant genes of "Yangmai" and introduced other disease-resistant genes like Fhb1, conducted multiple group selections, and synergistically improved resistance to Fusarium head blight and yield potential, resulting in the development of "Yangmai 33" and "Yang 19132." The attending leaders highly praised the Fusarium head blight resistance of these two varieties.
Delegates attend observation of wheat varieties resistant to Fusarium head blight. Photo by Wang Fang.
On May 12, delegates visited the Bai Ma Experimental Base of Nanjing Agricultural University for on-site observation. Professor Ma Zhengqiang from Nanjing Agricultural University provided a detailed introduction to materials for breeding wheat resistant to Fusarium head blight.
Taking this meeting as an opportunity, exchanging and sharing experiences and materials in breeding wheat resistant to Fusarium head blight, reaching consensus on key issues in breeding for resistance to Fusarium head blight, will further gather and leverage the advantageous resources of national wheat breeding joint research, empower technology to drive innovation in agricultural new quality productivity, and provide variety and technological support to break through the "bottleneck" in the seed industry and promote green and sustainable agricultural development.
