Resistance to Leveillula taurica in pepper (Capsicum annuum) is oligogenically controlled and stable in Mediterranean regions

The resistance to Leveillula taurica from an african pepper line H3 Capsicum annuum) was evaluated and analysed, using the androgenetic haplodiploid progeny from an F₁ hybrid between H3 and a susceptible line. Tests were performed in natural infection conditions in two locations (France and Sicily). Stable behaviour of the parental and haplodiploid lines was observed in both locations, confirming the high level and stability of this resistance source in Mediterranean countries. Heritability of resistance was high and genetic analysis suggested that it is under oligogenic control. However, the number of genetic factors involved in resistance depended on infection conditions: two or three genetic factors with additive and partial dominance effects appear sufficient to confer resistance at the beginning of the epidemic or in weak infection conditions. However, additional genes are necessary to slow down further disease progress and secondary infections and at least five genetic factors are necessary to confer resistance in severe infection. In this case, both additive and epistatic effects are significant. The transfer of this resistance into cultivars will require the use of artificial inoculation procedures to control the severity of the test.     

Genetics of Fertility Restoration in Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Pepper

Pepper hybrid seeds production using male sterility could lower cost by reducing time and labour, and increase the genetic purity of the F1 seeds. To investigate the genetics of fertility restoration of the Peterson cytoplasmic sterility in pepper, a doubled haploid population of 115 pepper lines obtained from anther culture of the F1 hybrid between Yolo Wonder （sterility maintainer line） and Perennial （fertility restorer line） and the parental lines were test-crossed by 77013A （a strict cytoplasmic-genic male sterile line）. The fertility of the test-crossed lines was assessed in greenhouse and open field with the following three criteria： pollen index （PI, visual estimation of pollen amount per flower）, pollen number （PN, pollen counting under microscope）, and seed number （SN, the number of seeds per fruit in open pollination）. Correlations between the each couple of criteria within, as well as between the cultivation methods ranged from 0.55 to 0.84. Analysis of variance showed that the genotype （DH line） and environment were the significant sources of variation of the fertility. Narrow sense of heritance of fertility restoration ranged from 0.38 to 0.92, depending on the criteria and environment. The distribution of the progeny was continuous between the parental genotypes indicating the quantitative inheritance of fertility restoration. Inferred from segregation according to Snape et al.（1984）, the number of segregating genes was estimated to be that three to four genetic factors were involved in pollen traits （PI and PN） and five to eight genetic factors in seed production （SN）. The heredity analysis of the CMS will be helpful for understanding of the genetic mechanism of the fertility restoration and the exploitation of the CMS in hybrid seed production.