Inheritance of resistance to wildfire and angular leaf spot derived from Nicotiana rustica var. Brasilea

Summary The introgression of wildfire (races 0 and 1) and angular leaf spot (ALS) resistance from N. rustica var. Brasilea into N. tabacum has proved economically useful in Zimbabwe although the mode of inheritance of, and genetic relationships between the resistance are unknown. This study was undertaken to (1) examine the mode of inheritance of the resistance to races 0 and 1 of wildfire, and ALS, (2) determine the genetic relationship between the resistances and (3) establish whether the N. rustica-derived wildfire race 0 resistance is allelic to that obtained from N. longiflora. Inheritance was examined under greenhouse and field conditions by studying disease reactions in the parental, F1, F2 and backcross generations derived from crosses of three susceptible lines to a resistant line Nr-7. Three-point backcrosses to the susceptible parent were examined for linkage and segregating generations from a cross of Nr-7 to Burley 21 which carries the N. longiflora race 0 resistance were used to test for allelism. In general, we observed that all resistances are determined by a single dominant gene although some incosistent ratios were obtained likely due to misclassification of disease reactions and erratic transmission. All resistances showed linkage although pleiotropism cannot be ruled out. Allelism tests demonstrated that the N. rustica race 0 resistance is not allelic to that obtained from N. longiflora. Our findings are examined in relation to the efficacy of indirect selection for resistance.