A new PCR-based marker on chromosome 4AL for resistance to pre-harvest sprouting in wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum aestivum</Emphasis> L.)

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is a complex trait controlled by multiple genes with strong interaction between environment and genotype that makes it difficult to select breeding materials by phenotypic assessment. One of the most important genes for pre-harvest sprouting resistance is consistently identified on the long arm of chromosome 4A. The 4AL PHS tolerance gene has therefore been targeted by Australian white-grained wheat breeders. A new robust PCR marker for the PHS QTL on wheat chromosome 4AL based on candidate genes search was developed in this study. The new marker was mapped on 4AL deletion bin 13-0.59-0.66 using 4AL deletion lines derived from Chinese Spring. This marker is located on 4AL between molecular markers Xbarc170 and Xwg622 in the doubled-haploid wheat population Cranbrook × Halberd. It was mapped between molecular markers Xbarc170 and Xgwm269 that have been previously shown to be closely linked to grain dormancy in the doubled haploid wheat population SW95-50213 × Cunningham and was co-located with Xgwm269 in population Janz × AUS1408. This marker offers an additional efficient tool for marker-assisted selection of dormancy for white-grained wheat breeding. Comparative analysis indicated that the wheat chromosome 4AL QTL for seed dormancy and PHS resistance is homologous with the barley QTL on chromosome 5HL controlling seed dormancy and PHS resistance. This marker will facilitate identification of the gene associated with the 4A QTL that controls a major component of grain dormancy and PHS resistance.     

Effect of grain colour gene (R) on grain dormancy and sensitivity of the embryo to abscisic acid (ABA) in wheat

The level of grain dormancy and sensitivity to ABA of the embryo, a key factor in grain dormancy, were examined in developing grains of a white-grained wheat line, Novosibirskaya 67 (NS-67), and its red-grained near-isogenic lines (ANK-1A to -1D); a red-grained line, AUS 1490, and its white-grained mutant line (EMS-AUS). ANK lines showed higher levels of grain dormancy than NS-67 at harvest maturity. AUS 1490 grain also showed higher dormancy than EMS-AUS grain. These results suggest that the R gene for grain colour can enhance grain dormancy. However, the dormancy effect conferred by the R gene was not large, suggesting that it plays a minor role in the development of grain dormancy. Water extracts of AUS 1490 and EMS-AUS bran contained germination inhibitors equivalent to 1-10 microM ABA, although there was no difference in the amount of inhibitors between AUS 1490 and EMS-AUS. Thus, the grain colour gene of AUS 1490 did not appear to enhance the level of grain dormancy by accumulating germination inhibitors in its bran. Sensitivity to ABA of embryos was higher in grains collected around harvest-maturity for ANK lines and AUS 1490, compared with NS-67 and EMS-AUS. The R gene might enhance grain dormancy by increasing the sensitivity of embryos to ABA.     

Validating a novel allele of <Emphasis Type="Italic">viviparous-1</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vp-1Bf</Emphasis>) associated with high seed dormancy of Chinese wheat landrace,Wanxianbaimaizi

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) can easily lead to yield losses of wheat and downgrading of grain quality in wheat-growing areas where long periods of wet weather occur frequently during harvest. As a main component of PHS, seed dormancy is often evaluated by germination index (GI). Previous researches have proved allelic variations of Vp-1B to have a close relationship with dormancy of white-grained wheat. In the present study, a mapping population covering 157 recombinant inbred lines was developed from a cross of two white-grained varieties, Wanxianbaimaizi and Jing411. Wanxianbaimaizi is a strongly dormant landrace carrying a novel allele, Vp-1Bf; whereas, Jing411 is a non-dormant variety with wild allele, Vp-1Ba. Our objective was to validate the association between the novel allele and seed dormancy using the population. The results of sequences alignment indicated an insertion of 193 bp and a deletion of 109 bp were both identified in the novel allele, respectively, compared with wild allele in Jing411. Here, the deletion was first detected. As for lines possessing Vp-1Ba, the average GI value was 0.584, significantly higher than that of lines holding Vp-1Bf. Among three genotypes, Vp-1Bf allele was generally corresponded to the lowest average of GI value (0.195), and the highest dormancy; in addition, lines with heterozygous genotype often showed intermediate GI value (0.356). Of 92 RILs with Vp-1Ba, over 70 lines showed higher GI value (>0.40), and only about 7 lines had lower GI value (<0.20). On the other hand, among 60 RILs with Vp-1Bf, over 50 lines showed lower GI value (<0.40), and only about 7 lines had higher GI value (>0.60). The result of composite interval mapping revealed that a major QTL for seed dormancy was flanked by Xwmc446 and Vp1 on 3BL, which was proximal to Vp1 (7.6–8.4 cM). The locus could explain 24.6–40.7% of total phenotypic variation across three crop seasons. The above results could confirm that the novel allele had a striking association with high seed dormancy, and may be useful for improving PHS tolerance of white-grained wheat.     

Characterization of quantitative trait loci controlling genetic variation for preharvest sprouting in synthetic backcross-derived wheat lines

Aegilops tauschii, the wild relative of wheat, has stronger seed dormancy, a major component of preharvest sprouting resistance (PHSR), than bread wheat. A diploid Ae. tauschii accession (AUS18836) and a tetraploid (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum var. Altar84) wheat were used to construct a synthetic wheat (Syn37). The genetic architecture of PHS was investigated in 271 BC(1)F(7) synthetic backcross lines (SBLs) derived from Syn37/2*Janz (resistant/susceptible). The SBLs were evaluated in three environments over 2 years and PHS was assessed by way of three measures: the germination index (GI), which measures grain dormancy, the whole spike assay (SI), which takes into account all spike morphology, and counted visually sprouted seeds out of 200 (VI). Grain color was measured using both Chroma Meter- and NaOH-based approaches. QTL for PHSR and grain color were mapped and their additive and epistatic effects as well as their interactions with environment were estimated by a mixed linear-model approach. Single-locus analysis following composite interval mapping revealed four QTL for GI, two QTL for SI, and four QTL for VI on chromosomes 3DL and 4AL. The locus QPhs.dpiv-3D.1 on chromosome 3DL was tightly linked to the red grain color (RGC) at a distance of 5 cM. The other locus on chromosome 3D, "QPhs.dpiv-3D.2" was independent of RGC locus. Two-locus analysis detected nine QTL with main effects and 18 additive x additive interactions for GI, SI, and VI. Two of the nine main effects QTL and two epistatic QTL showed significant interactions with environments. Both additive and epistatic effects contributed to phenotypic variance in PHSR and the identified markers are potential candidates for marker-assisted selection of favorable alleles at multiple loci. SBLs derived from Ae. tauschii proved to be a promising tool to dissect, introgress, and pyramid different PHSR genes into adapted wheat genetic backgrounds. The enhanced expression of PHS resistance in SBLs enabled us to develop white PHS-resistant wheat germplasm from the red-grained Ae. tauschii accession.     

Mapping of a major locus controlling seed dormancy using backcrossed progenies in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Seed dormancy is an important factor regulating preharvest sprouting (PHS) but is a complex trait for genetic analysis. We previously identified a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) controlling seed dormancy on the long arm of chromosome 4A (4AL) in common wheat. To transfer the QTL from the dormant lines 'OS21-5' and 'Leader' into the Japanese elite variety 'Haruyokoi', which has an insufficient level of seed dormancy, backcrossing was carried out through marker-assisted selection (MAS) using PCR-based codominant markers. Nineteen BC5F2 plants with homozygous alleles of 'OS21-5' or 'Haruyokoi' were developed and evaluated for seed dormancy under greenhouse conditions. The seeds harvested from plants with 'OS21-5' alleles showed a clearly high level of dormancy compared with seeds from plants with 'Haruyokoi' alleles. Additionally, the dormancy phenotype of BC3F3 seeds harvested from 128 BC3F2 plants with homozygous alleles of 'Leader' or 'Haruyokoi' showed a clear difference between these alleles. The QTL on 4AL confers a major gene, Phs1, which was mapped within a 2.6 cM region. The backcrossed lines developed in this study can be important sources for improving PHS resistance in Japanese wheat and for analyzing the mechanism of seed dormancy. MAS was useful for the development of near-isogenic lines in this complex trait, to facilitate the molecular dissection of genetic factors.     

Mapping QTLs for grain dormancy on wheat chromosome 3A and the group 4 chromosomes,and their combined effect

A major QTL for grain dormancy, QPhs.ocs-3A.1, derived from the highly dormant wheat Zenkoujikomugi (Zen), has been identified in a study made under a controlled environment. Further investigations were needed to dissect the precise position and expression of QPhs.ocs-3A.1 under different field conditions because the ability to detect genetic loci for grain dormancy traits is compromised by environmental effects and genotype/environment interactions. Group 4 chromosomes have also been shown to be possible sites of QTLs for grain dormancy. The objectives of this study were (1) to locate additional molecular markers in the QPhs.ocs-3A.1 region, (2) to identify QTLs on the group 4 chromosomes and (3) to elucidate their combined effects. We examined the recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from a cross between Chinese Spring (CS) and Zen over a 3-year period in one location and 1 year in a different location. In an interval mapping study QPhs.ocs-3A.1 was mapped to within the 4.6 cM region flanked by Xbarc310 and Xbcd907 at the proximal end of the short arm of chromosome 3A. QPhs.ocs-3A.1 was confirmed to be the predominant dormancy QTL since it explained a large portion (11.6–44.8%) of the phenotypic variation, and was strongly displayed under dormancy-breaking conditions or at low germination temperatures. For QPhs.ocs-4A.1, identified on the long arm of chromosome 4A, and QPhs.ocs-4B.1, on the centromeric region of the long arm of Chr 4B, the LOD peak positions and the desirable allele were consistent between the trials, while the LOD scores and contribution to the phenotypic variation varied. Transgressive segregants were observed among the 125 RILs and most of them had a combination of the three alleles conferring a higher dormancy: the Zen alleles at QPhs.ocs-3A.1 and QPhs.ocs-4A.1 and the CS allele at QPhs.ocs-4B1. This demonstrated a combined effect of the desirable alleles on accelerating grain dormancy, with their total effect being superior to that of Zen.     

Mapping of a major QTL for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance on chromosome 3A in bread wheat

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was conducted for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance (PHST) in bread wheat for a solitary chromosome 3A, which was shown to be important for this trait in earlier studies. An intervarietal mapping population in the form of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) developed from a cross between SPR8198 (a PHS tolerant genotype) and HD2329 (a PHS susceptible cultivar) was used for this purpose. The parents and the RIL population were grown in six different environments and the data on PHS were collected in each case. A framework linkage map of chromosome 3A with 13 markers was prepared and used for QTL analysis. A major QTL (QPhs.ccsu-3A.1) was detected on 3AL at a genetic distance of ∼183 cM from centromere, the length of the map being 279.1 cM. The QTL explained 24.68% to 35.21% variation in individual environments and 78.03% of the variation across the environments (pooled data). The results of the present study are significant on two counts. Firstly, the detected QTL is a major QTL, explaining up to 78.03% of the variation and, secondly, the QTL showed up in all the six environments and also with the pooled data, which is rather rare in QTL analysis. The positive additive effects in the present study suggest that a superior allele of the QTL is available in the superior parent (SPR8198), which can be used for marker-aided selection for the transfer of this QTL allele to obtain PHS-tolerant progeny. It has also been shown that the red-coloured grain of PHS tolerant parent is not associated with the QTL for PHST identified during the present study, suggesting that PHS tolerant white-grained cultivars can be developed.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

Genetic and QTL analyses of seed dormancy and preharvest sprouting resistance in the wheat germplasm CN10955

The inheritance and genetic linkage analysis for seed dormancy and preharvest sprouting (PHS) resistance were carried out in an F₈ recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross between “CN19055” (white-grained, PHS-resistant) with locally adapted Australian cultivar “Annuello” (white-grained, PHS-susceptible). Seed dormancy was assessed as germination index (GI7) while assessment for preharvest sprouting resistance was based on whole head assay (sprouting index, SI) and visibly sprouted seeds (VI). Segregation analysis of the F₂, F₃ data from the glasshouse and the RIL population in 2004 and 2005 field data sets indicated that seed dormancy and PHS resistance in CN19055 is controlled by at least two genes. Heritabilities for GI7 and VI were high and moderate for SI. The most accurate method for assessing PHS resistance was achieved using VI and GI7 while SI exhibited large genotype by environment interaction. Two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) QPhs.dpivic.4A.1 and QPhs.dpivic.4A.2 were identified. On pooled data across four environments, the major QTL, QPhs.dpivic.4A.2, explained 45% of phenotypic variation for GI7, 43% for VI and 20% for SI, respectively. On the other hand, QPhs.dpivic.4A.1 which accounted for 31% of the phenotypic variation in GI7 in 2004 Horsham field trial, was not stable across environments. Physical mapping of two SSR markers, Xgwm937 and Xgwm894 linked to the major QTL for PHS resistance, using Chinese Spring deletions lines for chromosome 4AS and 4AL revealed that the markers were located in the deletion bins 4AL-12 and 4AL-13. The newly identified SSR markers (Xgwm937/Xgwm894) showed strong association with seed dormancy and PHS resistance in a range of wheat lines reputed to possess PHS resistance. The results suggest that Xgwm937/Xgwm894 could be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS) for incorporating preharvest sprouting resistance into elite wheat cultivars susceptible to PHS.     

Resistance of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to preharvest sprouting: An association analysis

A statistical analysis of the data about 1422 bread wheat accessions with estimated preharvest sprouting was carried out. Close associations of preharvest sprouting resistance with the grain color and with resistance to Fusarium head blight were revealed, as well as weak, but statistically significant, associations with the habit, awnedness, and reduced height genes Rht-B1 and Rht-D1 (insensitive to gibberellin GA3). The pedigree analysis showed that the cluster structures of the gene pools of the North American red-grained and white-grained varieties are practically identical. In both groups, varieties that are resistant to preharvest sprouting differ from susceptible ones in the percentage of the contributions of the Crimean and Mediterranean landraces. Resistance is associated with a high contribution by the Crimean landrace and susceptibility is associated with a high contribution by the Mediterranean landrace.     

A major QTL controlling seed dormancy and pre-harvest sprouting resistance on chromosome 4A in a Chinese wheat landrace

Wheat pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) can cause significant reduction in yield and end-use quality of wheat grains in many wheat-growing areas worldwide. To identify a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for PHS resistance in wheat, seed dormancy and sprouting of matured spikes were investigated in a population of 162 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between the white PHS-resistant Chinese landrace Totoumai A and the white PHS-susceptible cultivar Siyang 936. Following screening of 1,125 SSR primers, 236 were found to be polymorphic between parents, and were used to screen the mapping population. Both seed dormancy and PHS of matured spikes were evaluated by the percentage of germinated kernels under controlled moist conditions. Twelve SSR markers associated with both PHS and seed dormancy were located on the long arm of chromosome 4A. One QTL for both seed dormancy and PHS resistance was detected on chromosome 4AL. Two SSR markers, Xbarc 170 and Xgwm 397, are 9.14 cM apart, and flanked the QTL that explained 28.3% of the phenotypic variation for seed dormancy and 30.6% for PHS resistance. This QTL most likely contributed to both long seed dormancy period and enhanced PHS resistance. Therefore, this QTL is most likely responsible for both seed dormancy and PHS resistance. The SSR markers linked to the QTL can be used for marker-assisted selection of PHS-resistant white wheat cultivars. Shi-Bin Cai and Cui-Xia Chen contributed equally to this work.     

A wheat homolog of MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 acts in the regulation of germination

Seed dormancy is an adaptive mechanism and an important agronomic trait. Temperature during seed development strongly affects seed dormancy in wheat (Triticum aestivum) with lower temperatures producing higher levels of seed dormancy. To identify genes important for seed dormancy, we used a wheat microarray to analyze gene expression in embryos from mature seeds grown at lower and higher temperatures. We found that a wheat homolog of MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 (MFT) was upregulated after physiological maturity in dormant seeds grown at the lower temperature. In situ hybridization analysis indicated that MFT was exclusively expressed in the scutellum and coleorhiza. Mapping analysis showed that MFT on chromosome 3A (MFT-3A) colocalized with the seed dormancy quantitative trait locus (QTL) QPhs.ocs-3A.1. MFT-3A expression levels in a dormant cultivar used for the detection of the QTL were higher after physiological maturity; this increased expression correlated with a single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region. In a complementation analysis, high levels of MFT expression were correlated with a low germination index in T1 seeds. Furthermore, precocious germination of isolated immature embryos was suppressed by transient introduction of MFT driven by the maize (Zea mays) ubiquitin promoter. Taken together, these results suggest that MFT plays an important role in the regulation of germination in wheat.     

Genetic basis of pre-harvest sprouting tolerance using single-locus and two-locus QTL analyses in bread wheat

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis for pre-harvest sprouting tolerance (PHST) in bread wheat was conducted following single-locus and two-locus analyses, using data on a set of 110 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of the International Triticeae Mapping Initiative population grown in four different environments. Single-locus analysis following composite interval mapping (CIM) resolved a total of five QTLs with one to four QTLs in each of the four individual environments. Four of these five QTLs were also detected following two-locus analysis, which resolved a total of 14 QTLs including 8 main effect QTLs (M-QTLs), 8 epistatic QTLs (E-QTLs) and 5 QTLs involved in QTL × environment (QE) or QTL × QTL × environment (QQE) interactions, some of these QTLs being common. The analysis revealed that a major fraction (76.68%) of the total phenotypic variation explained for PHST is due to M-QTLs (47.95%) and E-QTLs (28.73%), and that only a very small fraction of variation (3.24%) is due to QE and QQE interactions. Thus, more than three-quarters of the genetic variation for PHST is fixable and would contribute directly to gains under selection. Two QTLs that were detected in more than one environment and at LOD scores above the threshold values were located on 3BL and 3DL presumably in the vicinity of the dormancy gene TaVp1. Another QTL was found to be located on 3B, perhaps in close proximity to the R gene for red grain colour. However, these associations of QTLs for PHST with genes for dormancy and grain colour are only suggestive. The results obtained in the present study suggest that PHST is a complex trait controlled by large number of QTLs, some of them interacting among themselves or with the environment. These QTLs can be brought together through marker-aided selection, leading to enhanced PHST.     

Genes controlling seed dormancy and pre-harvest sprouting in a rice-wheat-barley comparison

Pre-harvest sprouting results in significant economic loss for the grain industry around the world. Lack of adequate seed dormancy is the major reason for pre-harvest sprouting in the field under wet weather conditions. Although this trait is governed by multiple genes it is also highly heritable. A major QTL controlling both pre-harvest sprouting and seed dormancy has been identified on the long arm of barley chromosome 5H, and it explains over 70% of the phenotypic variation. Comparative genomics approaches among barley, wheat and rice were used to identify candidate gene(s) controlling seed dormancy and hence one aspect of pre-harvest sprouting. The barley seed dormancy/pre-harvest sprouting QTL was located in a region that showed good synteny with the terminal end of the long arm of rice chromosome 3. The rice DNA sequences were annotated and a gene encoding GA20-oxidase was identified as a candidate gene controlling the seed dormancy/pre-harvest sprouting QTL on 5HL. This chromosomal region also shared synteny with the telomere region of wheat chromosome 4AL, but was located outside of the QTL reported for seed dormancy in wheat. The wheat chromosome 4AL QTL region for seed dormancy was syntenic to both rice chromosome 3 and 11. In both cases, corresponding QTLs for seed dormancy have been mapped in rice.C. Li and P. Ni contributed equally to this work     

Maternal environment affects the genetic basis of seed dormancy in Arabidopsis thaliana

The genetic basis of seed dormancy, a key life history trait important for adaptive evolution in plant populations, has yet been studied only using seeds produced under controlled conditions in greenhouse environments. However, dormancy is strongly affected by maternal environmental conditions, and interactions between seed genotype and maternal environment have been reported. Consequently, the genetic basis of dormancy of seeds produced under natural field conditions remains unclear. We examined the effect of maternal environment on the genetic architecture of seed dormancy using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between two locally adapted populations of Arabidopsis thaliana from Italy and Sweden. We mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) for dormancy of seeds produced in the greenhouse and at the native field sites of the parental genotypes. The Italian genotype produced seeds with stronger dormancy at fruit maturation than did the Swedish genotype in all three environments, and the maternal field environments induced higher dormancy levels compared to the greenhouse environment in both genotypes. Across the three maternal environments, a total of nine dormancy QTL were detected, three of which were only detected among seeds matured in the field, and six of which showed significant QTL × maternal environment interactions. One QTL had a large effect on dormancy across all three environments and colocalized with the candidate gene DOG1. Our results demonstrate the importance of studying the genetic basis of putatively adaptive traits under relevant conditions.     

Comparative genetic analysis of a wheat seed dormancy QTL with rice and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachypodium</Emphasis> identifies candidate genes for ABA perception and calcium signaling

Wheat preharvest sprouting (PHS) occurs when seed germinates on the plant before harvest resulting in reduced grain quality. In wheat, PHS susceptibility is correlated with low levels of seed dormancy. A previous mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) revealed a major PHS/seed dormancy QTL, QPhs.cnl-2B.1, located on wheat chromosome 2B. A comparative genetic study with the related grass species rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Brachypodium distachyon at the homologous region to the QPhs.cnl-2B.1 interval was used to identify the candidate genes for marker development and subsequent fine mapping. Expressed sequence tags and a comparative mapping were used to design 278 primer pairs, of which 22 produced polymorphic amplicons that mapped to the group 2 chromosomes. Fourteen mapped to chromosome 2B, and ten were located in the QTL interval. A comparative analysis revealed good macrocollinearity between the PHS interval and 3 million base pair (mb) region on rice chromosomes 7 and 3, and a 2.7-mb region on Brachypodium Bd1. The comparative intervals in rice were found to contain three previously identified rice seed dormancy QTL. Further analyses of the interval in rice identified genes that are known to play a role in seed dormancy, including a homologue for the putative Arabidopsis ABA receptor ABAR/GUN5. Additional candidate genes involved in calcium signaling were identified and were placed in a functional protein association network that includes additional proteins critical for ABA signaling and germination. This study provides promising candidate genes for seed dormancy in both wheat and rice as well as excellent molecular markers for further comparative and fine mapping.     

A microsatellite marker associated with a QTL for grain protein content on chromosome arm 2DL of bread wheat

 This study was undertaken with a view to tag gene(s) controlling grain protein content (GPC) using molecular markers in bread wheat. For this purpose, the genotype PH132 with high protein content (13.5%) was crossed with genotype WL711 with significantly lower protein content (9.7%), and 100 RILs were derived. These RILs showed normal distribution for protein content. The parental genotypes were analysed with 232 STMS primer pairs for detection of polymorphism. Of these, 167 primer pairs gave scorable amplification products, and 57 detected polymorphism between the parents. Using each of these 57 primer pairs, we carried out bulked segregant analysis on RILs representing the two extremes of the distribution. One primer pair for the locus wmc41 showed association with protein content. This was further confirmed through selective genotyping. The co-segregation data on the molecular marker (wmc41) and protein content on 100 RILs was analysed by means of a single-marker linear regression approach. Significant regression suggested linkage between wmc41 and a QTL (designated as QGpc.ccsu-2D.) for protein content. The results showed that this marker-linked QTL accounted for 18.73% of the variation for protein content between the parents. The marker has been located on chromosome arm 2DL using nulli-tetrasomic lines and two ditelocentric stocks for chromosome 2D. Received: 25 August 1998 / Accepted: 5 January 1999     

Stacking quantitative trait loci (QTL) for Fusarium head blight resistance from non-adapted sources in an European elite spring wheat background and assessing their effects on deoxynivalenol (DON) content and disease severity

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating disease in wheat that reduces grain yield, grain quality and contaminates the harvest with deoxynivalenol (DON). As potent resistance sources Sumai 3 and its descendants from China and Frontana from Brazil had been analysed by quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping. We introgressed and stacked two donor QTL from CM82036 (Sumai 3/Thornbird) located on chromosomes 3B and 5A and one donor QTL from Frontana on chromosome 3A in elite European spring wheat and estimated the effects of the three individual donor QTL and their four combinations on DON, Fusarium exoantigen content, and FHB rating adjusted to heading date. One class with the susceptible QTL alleles served as control. Each of the eight QTL classes was represented by 12–15 F₃-derived lines tested in F₅ generation as bulked progeny possessing the respective marker alleles homozygously. Traits were evaluated in a field experiment across four locations with spray inoculation of Fusarium culmorum. All three individual donor-QTL alleles significantly reduced DON content and FHB severity compared to the marker class with no donor QTL. The only exception was the donor-QTL allele 3A that had a low, but non-significant effect on FHB severity. The highest effect had the stacked donor-QTL alleles 3B and 5A for both traits. They jointly reduced DON content by 78% and FHB rating by 55% compared to the susceptible QTL class. Analysis of Fusarium exoantigen content illustrates that lower disease severity is associated with less mycelium content in the grain. In conclusion, QTL from non-adapted sources could be verified in a genetic background of German elite spring wheat. Within the QTL classes significant (P<0.05) genotypic differences were found among the individual genotypes. An additional phenotypic selection would, therefore, be advantageous after performing a marker-based selection.