Characterization of mechanisms of resistance against Didymella pinodes in Pisum spp.

Ascochyta blight caused by Didymella pinodes is a serious disease of pea (Pisum sativum ssp. sativum) to which little resistance has been identified so far. Only incomplete resistance is available in pea germplasm although higher levels of resistance have been reported in related Pisum species. In this study we characterized histochemically the underlying resistance mechanisms in these wild species and in the pea cv. Radley, the pea cultivar with the highest level of resistance to D. pinodes. Resistance was characterized by a reduced success of colony establishment and lesion size. Histologically this was associated with higher frequency of epidermal cell death and protein cross-linking in infected epidermal cells but not with H₂O₂ accumulation and peroxidase activity.