Development of TR18262 Two-row Feed Barley with Desirable Agronomics and Disease Resistance Including Lower DON Accumulation

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, is one of the most devastating
diseases of barley due mainly to effects of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) on grain quality.
Incorporating genetic resistance is a desirable strategy, and has been an important objective of the
barley breeding program at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Brandon Research and Development
Centre (AAFC-Brandon), Manitoba, Canada since 1996. Combining lower DON content with good
agronomic traits including high yield and resistance to other diseases in a commercially acceptable
package has been challenging. TR18262 is a promising two-row, hulled feed barley line that was
evaluated for two years (2018 and 2019) in the Western Two-row Cooperative Registration Trial. It
was bred and selected specifically for FHB resistance from the cross Cerveza/Xena made at AAFCBrandon.
Based on two-years of cooperative testing, it demonstrated to combine a good yield potential
with an average to above average combination of disease resistance which includes resistance to the
stem rust and surface smuts and moderate resistance to spot blotch and FHB. Overall its DON levels
are lower than all the checks included in these trials. In addition, lower DON levels were also recorded
for TR18262 when tested in the 2019 North American Barley Scab Evaluation Nursery. With its good
yield and low DON levels, TR18262 could offer a good production choice for feed growers especially
in areas where FHB is a concern.