Abstract In breeding for resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB) there should be precise differentiation between QTL for resistance and those for spike architecture traits that indirectly affect disease. QTL mapping for FHB Type II resistance and spike architecture traits was carried out in a population of 80 RIL. Three QTL for FHB Type II resistance were identified respectively on chromosomes 2A, 4A and 6D, the last of which is reported here for the first time. The number of florets per spike and per spikelet was associated with FHB Type II resistance but there was not co-localization between QTL for these traits. However, QTL for number of spikelets per spike overlapped with those for FHB Type II resistance on chromosomes 2A and 6D. Spike architecture traits - notably, the number of florets per spike and per spikelet - should be considered in the design of breeding strategies to increase Type II resistance to FHB in bread wheat.

Abstract Spike fertility index (SF) is a trait easily measured at maturity and strongly associated with the number of grains per unit area. In order to identify genomic regions involved in SF control, a biparental (Baguette 10 × Klein Chajá) population of 80 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) was used. Seven field trails were conducted to determine the SF BLUP value per RIL. RILs were genotyped using a commercial chip (Axiom® 35K SNP Wheat Breeder's Array, Affimetrix). A linkage map was constructed with 857 SNP markers, and SF QTL mapping was performed. The narrow-sense heritability of SF was 0.89. Three genomic regions (QTL) associated with SF were found on chromosomes 2D, 4A, and 7A. The proportion of genetic variation explained by these three QTL was 32%, with no significant epistatic interaction between QTL.

Somaclonal variation in plants regenerated by organogenesis from long-term cultured calluses of two diploid staminate genotypes of Asparagus officinalis cv. Argenteuil was characterized by plant phenotype, ploidy, meiotic behavior, pollen viability, fruit and seed set, and AFLP profiles. Phenotypic deviations from the donors were detected in foliage color, flower size, and cladode and flower morphology. Ploidy changes were observed in 37.8% of the 37 regenerants studied. Meiotic alterations in 12 out of 21 regenerants included laggards, dicentric bridges, micronuclei, restitution nuclei and polyads. Of the 408 AFLP markers screened in 43 regenerants and the donors, 2.94% showed polymorphism. High pollen viability was observed in the 22 regenerants analyzed. All crosses between one pistillate plant and 35 regenerants, as well as the controls, produced fruits and seeds; however, no plump seeds resulted in 35.3% of the crosses with regenerants, and no seeds germinated in 12.5% of those with apparently normal seeds. Fruit and seed set was similar in crosses with diploid regenerants with normal meiosis and the controls but was lower in crosses with diploid and polyploid regenerants with abnormal meiosis. Our results show that the regenerated plants exhibited conspicuous somaclonal variation that could be eventually exploited for in vitro selection systems.