Breeding for resistance to Heterodera in white clover

Summary White clover resistant to cyst nematodes was selected as a contribution to the study of the importance of cyst nematodes in the disappearance of white clover from grassland. Resistance was obtained from different sources viz from clones of the Foundation for Agricultural Plant Breeding selected for persistence, from New Zealand white clover, from the Swedish variety Kiwi and from the Italian variety Lodigiano. Inheritance was found to be most likely determined by more than one gene.The results of tests with three clover populations and seven Dutch sources of nematodes did not show clear differences in biotypes among the eelworms. Biotypes will not so easily appear as with organisms reproducing sexually because reproduction is practically only mitotic parthenogenetic.Resistance to cyst nematodes was not correlated with high glucoside contents.