Two in vitro assays to evaluate resistance in Linum usitatissimum to Fusarium wilt disease

Two types of in vitro seedling tests were developed to evaluate resistance in flax (Linum usitatissimum) against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lini. In the first test a solid medium was used. The second test was based on a liquid medium. Disease severity was assessed after three weeks, using the observed reduction of plant length as a scale. Both methods proved to be useful for screening for resistance, for evaluating race specificity of resistance and for studying symptomatology. The solid medium method proved to be the more accurate for the screening, but the liquid medium method was much less time- and labour-consuming. The results of the tests were significantly correlated with observations under field conditions.