Resistance to Heterodera filipjevi and H. avenae in winter wheat is conferred by different QTL.

The co-existence of cereal cyst nematode (CCN) species Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi together with multiple pathotypes is a limiting factor for wheat production in China. Some of the known genes for resistance to CCN are not effective against both nematode species, which complicates breeding efforts to develop CCN-resistant wheat cultivars. Here we demonstrate that the CCN resistance of wheat cultivar Madsen to both Heterodera species is controlled by different genetic loci, both of which originated from Aegilops ventricosa. A new QTL, QCre-ma7D, was identified and localized in a 3.77 Mb genomic region on chromosome 7DL, which confers resistance to H. filipjevi. QCre-ma2A on chromosome 2AS corresponds to CCN resistance gene Cre5 and confers resistance to H. avenae. Three KASP markers, BS00150072, BS00021745, and BS00154302, were developed for molecular marker-assisted selection of QCre-ma7D and locally adapted wheat lines with resistance to both nematode species were developed. The identification of different loci underlying resistance to H. avenae and H. filipjevi and the development of adapted resistant entries will facilitate development of wheat cultivars that are resistant to these devastating nematodes in China.