Frost-tolerance genes Fr-A2 and Fr-B2 in Australian wheat and their effects on days to heading and grain yield in lower rainfall environments in southern Australia
H. A. Eagles A B , Jayne Wilson C , Karen Cane C D , Neil Vallance E F , R. F. Eastwood G , Haydn Kuchel H A , P. J. Martin I J and Ben Trevaskis K L
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Agriculture Food and Wine, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide, PMB1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
B Current address: 3 Tacoma Boulevard, Pasadena, SA 5042, Australia.
C Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, PB 260, Horsham, Vic. 3401, Australia.
D Current address: Marcroft Grains Pathology, PB 260, Horsham, Vic. 3401, Australia.
E Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Mallee Research Station, Walpeup, Vic. 3507, Australia.
F Current address: Dodgshun Medlin, Ouyen Shire Office, Oke Street, Ouyen, Vic. 3490, Australia.
G Australian Grain Technologies, 11 Cheshire Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
H Australian Grain Technologies, Roseworthy Campus, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia.
I Department of Primary Industries, Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia.
J Current address: Howqua Consulting, 48 Fulham Road, Alphington, Vic. 3078, Australia.
K CSIRO Agriculture, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
L Corresponding author. Email: Ben.Trevaskis@csiro.au
Crop and Pasture Science 67(2) 119-127 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP15276
Submitted: 26 August 2015 Accepted: 10 November 2015 Published: 8 February 2016
Abstract
FROST RESISTANCE 2 (FR2) genes of wheat are C-Repeat Binding Factor (CBF) genes with two major alleles known for both Fr-A2 (‘T’ and ‘S’) and Fr-B2 (‘WT’ and ‘DEL’). VERNALIZATION 1 (VRN1) genes have a regulatory role on CBF genes, with known epistatic interactions between Vrn-A1 and Fr-A2 for tolerance to freezing temperatures during vegetative growth. VRN1 genes were also known to affect days to heading and grain yield. Therefore, FR2 genes might also affect these traits.
A wide range of cultivars was characterised for VRN1, Fr-A2 and Fr-B2 genes. A third allele of Fr-A2 was found in cvv Excalibur and Axe. The winter cultivar Norstar, which was known to have a high level of frost tolerance during vegetative growth, had the combination Vrn-A1w + Fr-A2T + Fr-B2WT, as did a spring landrace from Afghanistan that was known to have superior tolerance to frost during reproductive development. No Australian spring cultivar was found with this combination, but it could be selected from crosses between adapted cultivars. This would enable the role of VRN1 and FR2 alleles in reproductive frost tolerance to be evaluated in an adapted background. Using large, existing, plant-breeding datasets, the T allele of Fr-A2 delayed heading relative to the S allele, and the WT allele of Fr-B2 delayed heading relative to the DEL allele, but only in combination with particular alleles of the VRN1 genes. Fr-B2 affected grain yield, with the highest grain yields for spring lines produced by Fr-B2DEL in combination with the spring allele of Vrn-B1.
Additional keywords: association genetics, epistasis, freezing, Triticum aestivum L.
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