The reaction of Chrysanthemum cultivars to Puccinia horiana and the inheritance of resistance

Summary Four types of reaction of Chrysanthemum morifolium to infection by Puccinia horiana are described. (1) Resistant plants show no macroscopic lesions. Cultivars classified as resistant carry a single dominant gene mostly in a simplex, sometimes in a duplex condition. (2). Incomplete resistance provides good protection but under extreme test conditions some pustules develop slowly. (3) Necrosis inhibits spore formation to a large extent. The progenies of crosses between necrotic and susceptible cultivars are mostly susceptible. (4) Susceptible plants sporulate abundantly.The merits of the three types of resistance are discussed.     

Inheritance of tomato leaf curl virus resistance in Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum

Summary Inheritance of resistance to tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV) was studied in the progenies derived from interspecific crosses between TLCV resistant Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum line B 6013 and five susceptible cultivars (HS 101, HS 102, HS 110, Pusa Ruby and Punjab Chhuhara) of L. esculentum. P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, B₁ and B₂ progenies of the five crosses were artificially inoculated with local strains of TLCV by means of the vector whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.). and the disease reaction was studied in all the crosses. Reaction of parents, F₁, F₂ and backcrosses suggests that resistance derived from L. hirsutum f. glabratum B 6013 is based on two epistatic genes, one from the wild parent and one from the cultivated one, resulting in a 13:3 segragation in the F₂.     

Combining resistance to potato leafroll virus (PLRV) with immunity to potato viruses X and Y (PVX and PVY)

Summary Degeneration of seed tubers caused by viruses is a major constraint to potato cultivation in many warm tropical areas. Cultivars resistant to the most important viruses present a promising solution to such a problem. In a breeding study conducted at the International Potato Center (CIP), ten cultivars resistant to PLRV were crossed to five clones immune to PVX and PVY, as well as to a susceptible control. The resulting progenies were screened for PVX and PVY immunity. Afterwards, the resistant genotypes were fieldexposed to a PLRV-viruliferous aphid population. One tuber was harvested from each plant and used to assess, using ELISA serology, the presence of leafroll virus. The cultivars Serrana and Pentland Crown gave the best progenies in terms of percentage of healthy plants, with values of 47.4 and 33.3 respectively. The presence of joint infection of PLRV and PVY or PVX in the progenies of the susceptible control resulted in an increased susceptibility to leafroll.     

Linkage of dominant hypersensitive resistance to bean common mosaic virus to seed color in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Summary Evaluation of Phaseolus vulgaris germplasm bank materials and progenies from a large number of crosses using red- or yellow-colored, BCMV-susceptible bean lines, crossed to purple- or grey/brown-colored, hypersensitive-resistant lines, suggested strong trait association between seed color and BCMV resistance. The cross of red-mottled I⁺I⁺ (susceptible) BAT 1255R to isogenic purple-mottled II (resistant) BAT 1255M was made to study the segregation of the two characters and to recover red-mottled resistant progenies. No recombinant genotypes were observed among 353 F₃ families inoculated with BCMV-NL3, suggesting that linkage of purple-mottled seed color and dominant BCMV resistance is very close.Contribution of the Centro Internacional de Agricultural Tropical.     

Morphology and SSR fingerprinting of newly developed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cynara cardunculus</Emphasis> genotypes exploitable as ornamentals

The species Cynara cardunculus includes the globe artichoke (var. scolymus), the cultivated cardoon (var. altilis) and the wild cardoon (var. sylvestris). The three taxa are sexually compatible and originate fertile F ₁ progenies, which, given the high heterozygosity of the species, are highly segregating. We report the characterization of two F ₁ populations, one bred from a cross between globe artichoke and cultivated cardoon, and the other between globe artichoke and wild cardoon. Both populations featured a wide array of phenotypes in relation to several traits, and some of the newly developed genotypes are of interest for the ornamental market. The two populations were genotyped at 50 microsatellite (SSR) loci: in the globe artichoke × wild cardoon and globe artichoke × cultivated cardoon progenies 116 and 97 alleles were respectively detected. SSR pattern scores were used to produce an UPGMA dendrogram and a PCoA plot. A set of nine SSR loci, evenly dispersed across the genome, was shown to be sufficient to unambiguously identify each segregant. The molecular fingerprinting is useful for establishing the true to type correspondence of propagative materials in nurseries and ensures the effective correspondence between the real and the declared identity of a clone.     

Genetic diversity in apricot cultivars based on AFLP markers

A set of cultivars used as genitors in apricot breeding programs aimed at introducing sharka resistance were examined by AFLP molecular marker analysis. The markers obtained indicated that apricot cultivars resistant to sharka were related to the European cultivars, but they potentially share a common ancestor donor of sharka outside of the European group. Segregation of AFLP and RAPD markers has been tested in two progenies of two crosses, one between a resistant and a susceptible cultivar and one between two susceptible accessions. The heterozygozity of families obtained from crosses between resistant and susceptible cultivars is similar to those obtained from other self-incompatible Prunus species. On the other hand, heterozygosity of a progeny obtained from a cross between European susceptible cultivars was very low. The usefulness of the information provided by AFLPs for apricot breeding programs is discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterization of graft-induced change in capsaicin content of Capsicum annuum L.

Summary Capsaicin contents were measured in the progenies from the test crosses between the strain, G₅S₁₇ derived from fruit with the graft-induced change in fruit shape and the original two cultivars, Yatsubusa (Capsicum annuum L. var fasciculatum Ilish) and Spanish Paprika (C. annuum L. var. grossum Sendt) used for grafting.The strain, G₅S₁₇ contained a lower amount of capsaicin than the original pungent cultivar Yatsubusa used as scion. The characteristic of the lowered capsaicin content in the strain has been stably inherited through seed propagation, and has also been transmitted to the progenies from the crosses with the original two cultivars used for scion or stock. These features in the capsaicin content agreed with those in fruit shape in the graft-induced change.     

Inheritance of resistance to the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica Chitwood) in bitter almond progenies

Summary Through recurrent selection and progeny testing, five bitter almond genotypes have indicated dominance of resistance for the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica.All progenies from reciprocal crosses of resistant bitter almonds x susceptible sweet almonds were found completely resistant in four out of five bitter almond progenies. One selection showed near complete dominance of resistance. Progenies of resistant peach x susceptible almond cultivars segregate as to resistance, thus pointing to a possibly different mode of inheritance of nematode resistance in resistant peach as compared with almond.     

Increasing resistance to Fusarium crown and root rot in asparagus by gametophyte selection

In garden asparagus, Fusarium crown and root rot is the main cause of crop decline. Since chemical treatments are inefficient, efforts should focus on the development of resistant cultivars to control the disease. Toxic culture filtrate (TCF) of F. oxysporum has affected asparagus pollen germination and tube growth. Consequently, gametophyte selection was evaluated to ascertain if the application of selective agents at this level could increase selection efficiency. Two susceptible pistillate plants and one tolerant and one susceptible staminate plants were used in controlled crosses. Before pollination, a drop of a germination vehicle with TCF or without it was applied to the stigmas. Some pollinated pistils were fixed and analyzed by fluorescence microscopy; the rest were left on the plant for seed production. Fifty to 200 seeds were obtained per treatment combination (staminate plant x pistillate plant x pollination vehicle). The derived plantlets were inoculated in vitroand evaluated for disease symptoms. The application of TCF to stigmas reduced pollen germination and tube growth compared with untreated controls,regardless of the genotypic combination. Pollen germination and tube growth was poorer for the tolerant staminate genotype than for the susceptible one. When the TCF was applied, the number of seeds per pollination in comparison with the controls diminished only when the susceptible genotype was the pollinator. The percentage of affected root area of the progenies obtained after applying the TCF was lower than in the controls only when the tolerant genotype was the pollinator. Increasing Fusarium resistance in asparagus by means of gametophyte selection seems feasible. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Response to Selection for Resistance to Macrophomina and Xanthomonas and its Association with Seed Colour in Cowpea*

In cowpea, black seeded types are supposedly resistant to Macrophomina. A study was undertaken to verify the association of seed colour with resistance to Macrophomina and Xanthomonas and to examine the response over three cycles of selection for such resistance along with seed yield, determinate habit and synchronous flowering in five black-and three white-seeded cowpea varieties. Selection was done between and within progenies under heavy natural incidence of both pathogens supplemented by artificial inoculation of Macrophomina using the toothpick method at flower primordial stage. Among 414 single plant progenies in the first cycle all 193 white-seeded progenies from three different varieties were highly susceptible to both pathogens, with considerable variation among the black-seeded ones. All the black- and white-seeded progenies derived from the same variety‘Floricream’were highly susceptible. Multivariate analysis for five characters in the ten best progenies after two selection cycles revealed significant genetic diversity between the progenies. Selection was successful with the isolation of three productive progenies resistant: to both diseases. The results indicated that seed colour had no influence on resistance m this material and that simultaneous improvement of seed yield, plant type and disease resistance could be achieved.     

Qualitative resistance of Hevea to Phyllachora huberi P. Henn

Qualitative observations of Hevea spp. resistance to Phyllachora huberi were carried out on 200 clones in a collection and 21 full-sib progenies under natural conditions of infestation. A total of 42 clones, mostly originating from the natural range of the Hevea genus, and at least two species (H. brasiliensis and H. benthamiana) revealed total resistance to the parasite. For nine of the thirteen `resistant ×susceptible' and `resistant × resistant' progenies studied, the ratio of susceptible: resistant plants suggested the existence of a total resistance mechanism produced by a dominant allele at a single locus for the P. huberi race(s) present at the study site. For three of the progenies involving the same resistant parent, it was possible to locate the gene (called Phr) at 14.7 cm from the adhisozyme locus. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The production of alien monosomic additions in Beta vulgaris as a source for the introgression of resistance to beet root nematode (Heterodera schachtii) from Beta species of the section Patellares

Summary Experiments were carried out for adding the chromosome carrying resistance to beet root nematode (Heterodera schachtii) from the wild Beta species of the section Patellares (B. procumbens, B. webbiana and B. patellaris) to the genome of B. vulgaris. Preliminary experiments indicated that crosses between the wild species and B. vulgaris cultivars of the mangold type yielded on average more viable F₁ hybrids than crosses with sugar and fodderbeet. However, crossability varied strongly between individual parental combinations. It was concluded that most types of B. vulgaris can be hybridized with the wild species of the section Patellares if a sufficient number of pair-crosses is made. Crosses between diploid cultivars or species of the section Vulgares and diploid wild species of the section Patellares yielded many hybrids which, however, were highly sterile. From crosses between tetraploid B. vulgaris and the wild species a great number of viable allotriploid and allotetraploid hybrids was obtained. In the backcross progenies of allotriploid hybrids 26% alien monosomic additions occurred, of which 4.1% carried the resistance bearing chromosome of B. procumbens or B. patellaris. The programme will be continued by sereening progenies of the resistant monosomic addition plants for the occurrence of resistant disomic introgression products.     

Evaluation of resistance to verticillium wilt in diploid,wild potato interspecific hybrids

Summary Verticillium wilt (V. albo-atrum Reinke & Berthold or V. dahliae Kleb) threatens potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production in most growing areas of the world. Genetic resistance offers the most cost-effective and environmentally-sound control measure. However, there is a dearth of genetic and breeding information on resistance to verticillium wilt in potato, because of obscure parentage of some standard cultivars and the complex segregation at the tetraploid level. The wide range of genetic variability in wild relatives of potatoes can be potentially useful as a source of disease resistance, such as verticillium wilt resistance. Six diploid, wild, interspecific Solanum hybrids involving resistant x resistant and susceptible x resistant crosses, were assayed for verticillium wilt resistance under greenhouse conditions to evaluate their potential as sources of verticillium wilt resistance. The cross between S. gourlayi Oka. and S. chacoense Bitt. and its reciprocal had the most resistant progenies based on mean colony counts. No simple mode of inheritance can be proposed based on the observed segregation ratios. However, the continuous distributions observed on verticillium wilt disease response among hybrid families indicate that inheritance of resistance may be polygenic and complex. In addition, skewness of colony count distributions toward the resistance parents were characteristic of all resistant x susceptible crosses suggesting that resistance may be dominant. By contrast, the susceptible x susceptible cross showed a more normal distribution. Overall, the cross between S. gourlayi and S. chacoense showed the most potential as a source of verticillium wilt resistance.     

Potential and limitations of isozymes for chromosomal localization of resistance genes against barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV)

Summary To assess the possibilities offered by isozymes to locate resistance genes against barley mild mosaic virus (BaMMV), the isozyme patterns of 19 barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes carrying genes different from ym4 were determined. Of the 15 isozyme systems tested, only three were polymorphic, namely aconitate hydratase, esterase, phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, providing markers on four of the seven barley chromosomes. Studies of F₂ progenies derived from three crosses between resistant genotypes and susceptible varieties failed to reveal linkage between resistance genes and isozymes. Another goal of the experiment was to study the linkage relationships between ym4 and the esterase locus (Est1-Est2-Est4). Our estimates of the recombination rate between these two loci (3.41 and 8.32%) were in the range of those reported between these esterases and one of the resistance genes of the Chinese variety Mokusekko 3.     

Selection for early flowering in progenies of interspecific crosses of ten species in the genus Dianthus

Summary Twenty-seven progenies of interspecific crosses, involving ten Dianthus spieces (D. caryophyllus, D. chinensis, D. superbus, D. barbatus, D. japonicus, D. brachyzonus, D. versicolor, D. trifasciculatus, D. serotinus and D. knappii) and some complex interspecific hybrids (Diantini genotypes and D. Allwoodii selections) were grown from seed under 8 hr days at two light intensities: 12 W/m² and 22 W/m². Observations on individual plants were made on vegetative development and date of flowering. After six months, 178 plants were selected from 23 seedling progenies and the resulting clones were compared under 22 W/m² and two photoperiods: 8 hrs and 24 hrs per day for a period of nearly six months. In the seedling stage, large differences were observed between progenies, e.g. in percentage generative plants (0–100%), plant length (3–78 cm) and plant fresh weight (0.5–68 g). Effects of light intensity were most pronounced in plant fresh weight (0.2–18 g in 12 W/m² and 0.5–68 g in 22 W/m²). Progenies of D. chinensis were the earliest to flower. Most progenies of crosses between D. superbus and D. barbatus segregated into flowering and non-flowering (rosetting) plants. In the clonal stage, most clones originating from non-flowering seedlings remained vegetative (rosetting), while all clones from flowering seedlings were either in flower or in bud within six months. Average dates of flowering of seedling progenies and of their clones were highly correlated, suggesting that selection on flowering date at the seedling stage is effective. High correlations were also found between the average flowering date of seedling progenies and the number and total weight of flowers harvested per plant in their clones within six months from planting. Overall effects of LD in the clonal stage were much less spectacular than the effects of light intensity in the seedling stage.     

Genetical analysis of resistance to Mycosphaerella pinodes in pea seedlings

Summary In studies of the inheritance of resistance, pea seedlings of seven lines in which stems and leaves were both resistant to Mycosphaerella pinodes were crossed with a line in which they were both susceptible. With seven of the crosses resistance was dominant to susceptibility. When F₂ progenies of five crosses were inoculated on either stems or leaves independently, phenotypes segregated in a ratio of 3 resistant: 1 susceptible indicating that a single dominant gene controlled resistance. F₂ progenies of one other cross gave ratios with a better fit to 9 resistant: 7 susceptible indicating that two co-dominant genes controlled resistance. The F₂ progeny of another cross segregated in complex ratios indicating multigene resistance.When resistant lines JI 97 and JI 1089 were crossed with a susceptible line and leaves and stems of each F₂ plant were inoculated, resistance phenotypes segregated independently demonstrating that leaf and stem resistance were controlled by different genes. In two experiments where the F₂ progeny of the cross JI 97×JI 1089 were tested for stem and leaf resistance separately, both characters segregated in a ratio of 15 resistant:1 susceptible indicating that these two resistant lines contain two non-allelic genes for stem resistance (designated Rmp1 and Rmp2) and two for leaf resistance (designated Rmp3 and Rmp4). Evidence that the gene for leaf resistance in JI 1089 is located in linkage group 4 of Pisum sativum is presented.     

Crown depth and susceptibility to crown rot in wheat

Sources of partial resistance to crown rot caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum are detected in mature plants grown in artificially inoculated soil in the field. The resistance in most but not all of these sources can also be detected in seedlings. In order to determine whether partial resistance is related to depth of crown formation, this character was measured in 13 cultivars/lines with a range of reaction to crown rot. It was also measured in doubled haploid plants from the cross, Batavia/2–49. Crown depths varied from 17.1 mm to -2.3 mm (above ground) in pots in a waterbath at 25 ^°C and from 43.5 mm to 20.7 mm when plants were grown in the field. The correlation coefficient between relative susceptibility to crown rot (Field test) and crown depth of 13 cultivars/lines was 0.57 (p ≤ 0.05). With the exception of the cultivars, Sunco and Pelsart, partial resistance to crown rot was inversely related to depth of crown formation. This indicates that depth of crown formation may be partly responsible for the reaction of a cultivar/line to crown rot. Depth of crown formation was also measured in susceptible and partially resistant cultivars/lines grown from seed planted at different depths. As depth of seeding increased, depth of crown formation in partially resistant and susceptible cultivars/lines increased in similar proportions. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Inheritance of resistance to Phytophthora fragariae Hickman in strawberry

Summary It has been found that complete resistance of the strawberry cultivars and selections Earliglow, Guardian, MdUS 2700, MdUS 2929, MdUS 3816 and Redchief to Phytophthora fragariae is inherited in a one-to-one ratio, suggesting that these genotypes have one major resistance gene effective to the races present in the test field.The high level of partial resistance of Cambridge Favourite has clearly been recovered in its progenies. However, from results presented here, no conclusions could be drawn with regard to the number of genes involved in the partial resistance of Cambridge Favourite. It is, however, suggestive that about half the susceptible selections derived from crosses with Cambridge Favourite have shown a relatively high level of partial resistance. The selections concerned were obtained by selection on horticultural characters in seedling populations planted on an uninfested field.     

Occurrence of aphid vector and genetic tolerance to infection by potyvirus in hot pepper

The productivity and marketable quality of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum L.) are low in tropical regions mainly due to virus infections and lack of effective virus management strategies. The absence of effective virus management strategies could be attributed to lack of information on virus vectors and host resistance. Parental (P₁ and P₂) and progeny (F₁, B₁, B₂ and F₂) generations of five hot pepper crosses were grown in Ethiopia at three sites (Bako, Hawasa and Melkasa) to monitor number and species of potential aphid vectors, disease incidence levels with regards to natural infections by Potato virus Y (PVY) and Ethiopian pepper mottle virus (EPMV) complex, and to determine genetic tolerance of the crop to the viruses. Disease incidence was assessed before the flowering stage of the crop plants using visible disease symptoms due to infections by PVY and EPMV. The serological tests revealed presence of symptomless genotypes of the crop to the virus infections. Aphid species potentially transmitting the viruses, such as Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Aphis fabae (Scopoli), and Myzus persicae (Sulzer), were identified from specimens caught by yellow water traps. The highest number of aphids from yellow water traps was recorded at a dense foliage growth stage of the crop at Melkasa. Highly significant variation was observed among generations of the five crosses in response to infections by PVY and EPMV complex. The most susceptible parents had the levels of disease incidences ranging from 80 to 90%, whereas their progenies had only below 30% incidence levels. The most tolerant parent remained symptomless to the natural infections of PVY- and EPMV-complex. Incidence levels in progenies of a cross from the most susceptible and tolerant parents remained below 20%. Based on serological test, the proportion of PVY-positive plants ranged from 0 to 75% and of EPMV-positive plants from 0 to 25%, with 0 to 17% co-infection by the two viruses. Availability of virus sources in the vicinity, efficiency of aphids in vectoring, weather conditions during the growth period, genetic tolerance and the growth stage of the crop affected natural infection by PVY- and EPMV-complex. Exploitation of the genetic potential of introduced elite genotypes and their progenies along with breeding elite local cultivars for resistance and excluding aphid vectors at young (seedling) stage of the crop plants could be helpful for minimizing losses in yield and quality of hot pepper due to infections by PVY- and EPMV-complex.     

Inheritance of seed resistance to bruchids in cultivated mungbean (Vigna radiata, L. Wilczek)

Bruchid beetles or seed weevils are the most devastating stored pests of grain legumes causing considerable loss to mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek). Breeding for bruchid resistance is a major goal in mungbean improvement. Few sources of resistance in cultivated genepool were identified and characterized, however, there has been no study on the genetic control of the resistance. In this study, we investigated the inheritance of seed resistance to Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) and C. maculatus (F.) in two landrace mungbean accessions, V2709BG and V2802BG. The F₁, F₂ and BC generations were developed from crosses between the resistant and susceptible accessions and evaluated for resistance to the insects. It was found that resistance to bruchids in seeds is controlled by maternal plant genotype. All F₁ plants derived from both direct and reciprocal crosses exhibited resistance to the bruchids. Segregation pattern of reaction to the beetles in the F₂ and backcross populations showed that the resistance is controlled by a major gene, with resistance is dominant at varying degrees of expressivity. Although the presence of modifiers was also observed. The gene is likely the same locus in both V2709BG and V2802BG. The resistant gene is considered very useful in breeding for seed resistance to bruchids in mungbean.