Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Covariation between line and testcross performance for reduced mycotoxin concentrations in European maize after silk channel inoculation of two Fusarium species

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

Abstract

Fusarium spp. in maize can contaminate grain with mycotoxins harmful to humans and animals. Breeding and growing resistant varieties is one alternative to reduce contamination by mycotoxins. Little is known about the population parameters relevant to resistance breeding. The objectives of this study were to draw conclusions on breeding of reduced mycotoxin concentrations of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins, and resistance to ear rot after silk channel inoculation with F. graminearum or F. verticillioides, respectively. For that, variation and covariation of line and testcross performance and correlations between both species and between mycotoxin concentrations and ear rot resistance were calculated. Means of ear rot after infection with F. graminearum were higher than with F. verticillioides. Moderate phenotypic correlations (r = 0.46–0.65) between resistances to both Fusarium spp. implicate the need of separate testing. Analyses of variance revealed significant (P < 0.01) differences among lines in line and testcross performance for 30–60 entries per maturity group. Multi-environmental trials for accurate selection are necessary due to significant (P < 0.1) genotype × environment interactions. High genotypic correlations between ear rots and mycotoxins (r ≥ 0.90), and similar heritabilities of both traits, revealed the effectiveness of indirect selection for mycotoxin concentrations based on ear rot rating after inoculation. Moderate genotypic correlations between line and testcross performance were found (r = 0.64–0.83). The use of one moderately to highly susceptible tester is sufficient since genotypic correlations between testcrosses of different testers were high (r = 0.80–0.94). Indirect selection for testcross performance based on line performance is less effective than selection based on mycotoxin concentrations. Consequently, selection for resistance to ear rot and mycotoxin accumulation should be started among testcrosses tested first for general combining ability based on ear rot data in parallel with a negative selection for line per se performance.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allison JCS, Curnow RW (1966) On the choice of tester parent for the breeding of synthetic varieties of maize (Zea mays L.). Crop Sci 6:541–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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 

  • Bernardo R (1991) Correlation between testcross performance of lines at early and late selfing generations. Theor Appl Genet 82:17–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolduan C, Miedaner T, Schipprack W, Dhillon BS, Melchinger AE (2009) Genetic variation for resistance to ear rots and mycotoxins contamination in early European maize inbred lines. Crop Sci 49:2019–2028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolduan C, Miedaner T, Utz HF, Dhillon BS, Melchinger AE (2010) Genetic variation in testcrosses and relationship between line per se and testcross performance for resistance to Gibberella ear rot in maize. Crop Sci 50:1691–1696. doi:10.2135/cropsci2009.10.0623

    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 

  • Butrón A, Santiago R, Mansilla P, Pintos-Varela C, Oráds A, Malvar RA (2006) Maize (Zea mays L.) genetic factors for preventing fumonisin contamination. J Agric Food Chem 54:6113–6117

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

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

    Article  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. Phytopathology 94:251–260

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Desjardins AE, Plattner RD, Lu M, Claflin LE (1998) Distribution of fumonisins in maize ears infected with strains of Fusarium moniliforme that differ in fumonisin production. Plant Dis 82:953–958

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Falconer DS, Mackay TFC (1996) Introduction to quantitative genetics. Longman Group Limited, Harlow

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2010) http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567#ancor. Accessed 6 Nov 2010

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Gendloff EH, Rossman EC, Casale WL, Isleib TG, Hart LP (1986) Components of resistance to Fusarium ear rot in field corn. Phytopathology 76:684–688

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinschmidt CE, Clements MJ, Maragos CM, Pataky JK, White DG (2005) Evaluation of food-grade dent corn hybrids for severity of Fusarium ear rot and fumonisin accumulation in grain. Plant Dis 89:291–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Löffler M, Kessel B, Ouzunova M, Miedaner T (2010a) 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 210:1053–1062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Löffler M, Miedaner T, Kessel B, Ouzunova M (2010b) Mycotoxin accumulation and corresponding ear rot rating in three maturity groups of European maize inoculated by two Fusarium species. Euphytica 174:153–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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 

  • Nankam C, Pataky JK (1996) Resistance to kernel infection by Fusarium moniliforme in the sweet corn inbred IL125b. Plant Dis 80:593–598

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pestka JJ (2007) Deoxynivalenol: toxicity, mechanisms and animal health risks. Anim Feed Sci Technol 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 

  • Rawlings JO, Thompson DL (1962) Performance level as criterion for the choice of maize tester. Crop Sci 2:217–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid LM, Hamilton RI, Mather DE (1995) Effect of macroconidial suspension volume and concentration on expression of resistance to Fusarium graminearum in maize. Plant Dis 79:461–466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid LM, Hamilton RI, Mather DE (1996a) Screening maize for resistance to Gibberella ear rot. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ottawa, ON, Technical Bulletin Publication 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 

  • 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 

  • 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 

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

  • 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

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt W (2004) Hybridmaiszüchtung bei der KWS SAAT AG. In: Bericht über die 54. Arbeitstagung 2003 der Vereinigung österreichischer Pflanzenzüchter, BAL Gumpenstein, pp 1–6

  • Smith OS (1986) Covariance between line per se and testcross performance. Crop Sci 26:540–543

    Article  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

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams WP, Windham GL (2009) Diallel analysis of fumonisin accumulation in maize. Field Crops Res 114:324–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zöllner P, Jodlbauer J, Kleinova M, Kahlbacher H, Kuhn T, Hochsteiner W, Lindner W (2002) Concentration levels of zearalenone and its metabolites in urine, muscle tissue, and liver samples of pigs fed with mycotoxin-contaminated oats. J Agr Food Chem 50:2494–2501

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The technical assistance of Marika Takács in the laboratory and the teams at all locations for data collection are highly appreciated. We further thank Prof. Dr. M. Lemmens, IFA Tulln/Austria, for sharing his isolates with us. We highly appreciate the advice for statistical analyses of Prof. Dr. H.-P. Piepho, Bioinformatics Group, Institute for Crop Production and Grassland Research, Universität Hohenheim/Germany. This project was financially supported by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF, Bonn) and the KWS SAAT AG within the German–French–Spanish 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 Thomas Miedaner.

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. Covariation between line and testcross performance for reduced mycotoxin concentrations in European maize after silk channel inoculation of two Fusarium species. Theor Appl Genet 122, 925–934 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-010-1499-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-010-1499-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation