Ferulic Acid Content of Barley and Wheat Grains and Head Blight Resistance

Abstract

In order to find if a ferulic acid (FA) can be used as a selection index in cereal breeding for resistance to head blight and mycotoxin production, we analyzed FA in the grains of 80 cultivars of barley, rice, and wheat. FA content ranged 1.66-2.77 mg/g in barley (n=20), 0.56-1.53 mg/g in wheat (n=40), and 0.91-2.13 mg/g in rice (n=20). Among these, 7 cultivars each of barley and wheat with different FA content were tested for head blight and mycotoxin production by 2 Fusarium graminearum and 2 F. asiaticum strains. Mean pathogenicity of the wheat cultivars was significantly less than that of barley with higher FA and among wheat cultivars, there was no correlation between FA content and pathogenicity. Mycotoxin production was also lower in the wheat than in the barley as pathogenicity. However, pathogenicity and toxins produced by F. asiaticum were negatively correlated with FA content in barley. These results indicate that FA is not a resistance factor to head blight by F. asiaticum and F. graminearum or its mycotoxin production in barley and wheat.

Evaluation of Barley and Wheat Germplasm for Resistance to Head Blight and Mycotoxin Production by Fusarium asiaticum and F. graminearum

“…The mycotoxin levels were higher in wheat for both DON and NIV, indicating that wheat was more prone to mycotoxin accumulation. These results differ from those of a previous study where DON levels were not significantly different between barley and wheat, and DON-producing F. graminearum was less aggressive than NIV-producing F. asiaticum in wheat ( Baek et al, 2020 ). This work, however, was based on a lower number (14 in total) of cultivars, making our results more representative.…”

“…Our results suggest to use both species for FHB assessment in barley and wheat in Korea. FHB severity was generally higher in barley than in wheat in both strains, showing that barley was more susceptible to FHB, confirming our previous results ( Baek et al, 2020 ). Of these two species, NIV-producing F. asiaticum was more aggressive than DON-producing F. graminearum in both crops.…”

“…However, it is controversial to conclude because some studies found no correlation between FHB and DON concentration in these crops ( Gilbert et al, 2002 ; Khanal et al, 2021 ) and all test conditions were different. The strong correlation between DON and NIV levels only in barley, and higher correlation between FHB severity and toxin production with F. asiaticum in barley accessions than wheat or with F. graminearum might be another proof of the co-evolution of F. asiaticum and barley for a longer period than wheat, as speculated previously ( Baek et al, 2020 ). Further studies are necessary to elucidate the basis of this association between barley and F. asiaticum .…”

“…The seedlings were transplanted into larger pots (25 cm in diameter) in a greenhouse. When the heads started to flower, five heads of each accession were inoculated by spraying (~2 ml/head) with conidia (1 × 10 5 ) of F. asiaticum # 73 (Fa73) and F. graminearum Z3639 (Fg39) ( McCormick and Alexander, 2002 ), as previously described ( Baek et al, 2020 ). Fa73 was a strain isolated from Korean rice in 2015 and confirmed for NIV production.…”

Functional Analysis of Genes Specifically Expressed during Aerial Hyphae Collapse as a Potential Signal for Perithecium Formation Induction in Fusarium graminearum

“…Current control measures for FHB include drainage management, seed disinfection, chemical treatments, and best management practices during the emergence to flowering period of infection. However, efforts to breed disease-resistant or mycotoxin-resistant crops and develop eco-friendly control agents are still in the early stages ( Baek et al, 2020 ; Goswami and Kistler, 2004 ). Despite its pathological significance, disease control for F. graminearum heavily relies on chemical agents ( Kim et al, 2017 ).…”