Wangshuibai is a Chinese landrace wheat with a high level of resistance to fusarium head blight (FHB) and deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation. Using an F7 population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross between Wangshuibai and Annong 8455 for molecular mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for FHB resistance, the proportion of scabbed spikelets (PSS) and DON content were assessed under field conditions. Composite interval mapping revealed that two and three QTL were significantly associated with low PSS and low DON content, respectively, over 2 years. QTL on chromosomes 3B and 2A explained 17 and 11·5%, respectively, of the phenotypic variance for low PSS, whereas QTL on chromosomes 5A, 2A and 3B explained 12·4, 8·5 and 6·2%, respectively, of the phenotypic variance for low DON content. The 3B QTL appeared to be associated mainly with low PSS, and the 5A QTL primarily with low DON content in Wangshuibai. The 2A QTL had minor effects on both low PSS and DON content. Microsatellite and AFLP markers linked to these QTL should be useful for marker-assisted selection of QTL for low PSS and low DNA content from Wangshuibai.

To combine the advantage of density reduction and excellent performance, nanometer-sized B2 particles were introduced into the δ ferrite matrix of high-aluminium low-density steel by the addition of nickel (Fe–0.2C–11Mn–6Al–4/8Ni). Compared to Fe–0.2C–11Mn–6Al (0Ni) steel, the hardness and tensile strength of 4Ni and 8Ni steels are significantly improved. The improvement of tensile strength in 4Ni and 8Ni steels was primarily contributed by the precipitation strengthening or solution strengthening of B2 particles in δ ferrite. At the higher annealing temperature, the original dislocation density in δ ferrite is lower. However, dislocation multiplication during tensile deformation was more significant in the sample annealed at higher temperature, which was responsible for a higher work hardening rate.