Sugar beets homozygous for resistance to beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii Schm.), developed from monosomic additions of Beta procumbens to B. vulgaris

Summary Monosomic additions of Beta vulgaris x B. procumbens with resistance to beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii Schm.) were used for the production of resistant diploids through incorporation of the B. procumbens chromosome fragment bearing the resistance gene(s) into one of the sugar beet chromosomes. The heterozygotes obtained accordingly were selfed for producing homozygotes. These homozygotes differed morphologically from commercial sugar beet varieties, but produced reasonable amounts of pollen. Female transmission of resistance was 100%, whereas male transmission, apart from some exceptions, was more than 90%. The number of hypersensitivity reactions to penetrated larvae was related to the degree of susceptibility. Larval development was severely retarded in the resistant plants, preventing most of them to produce cysts. If cysts were formed, their content was considerably less as compared to those in the susceptible plants.