Pathogenic diversity within field populations of Orobanche cumana and different reactions on sunflower genotypes

Different races of the parasitic Orobanche cumana (sunflower broomrape) have been reported in Spain, race F being the most virulent. Full resistance in sunflower to races A–E is achieved with each of the single major genes Or₁ to Or₅ respectively. However, parasitised hybrids allegedly resistant to race F were observed in early 2002. The purpose of this study was to verify broomrape incidences (BI) on resistant sunflower genotypes, to assess the mixture of races within field populations and to test for partial resistance to race F in the sunflower hybrids showing a low degree of attack (DA) by the weed. Tests were conducted under field conditions in two locations of southern Spain. While no significant differences were found for yield and BI between locations, the DA on the cultivars depended on the location. With high infection levels and significantly lower yield in susceptible controls, marked differences in BI and DA were found within resistant cultivars, but all of them showed similar crop yield. When artificially inoculated with several populations of race F, line P96 and mainly line L86, were consistently slightly infected, suggesting they were inbred lines responsible for horizontal resistance in infested fields. L86 was extremely susceptible to race E populations, which is unusual as sunflower resistance to one race provided resistance to all the previously described races of O. cumana. No different virulences were detected within two groups of subpopulations (races E and F) inoculated onto resistant sunflower genotypes. However, race F subpopulations showed significant differences in aggressiveness, which seems to be related to horizontal (multigenic) resistance of the crop to the parasitic weed.