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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #292235

Title: Screening strawberry (Fragria x ananassa) germplasm for anthracnose disease resistance using traditional techniques and molecular makers

Author
item Miller Butler, Melinda
item CURRY, KENNETH - University Of Southern Mississippi
item KREISER, BRIAN - University Of Southern Mississippi
item Smith, Barbara

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2013
Publication Date: 6/10/2013
Citation: Miller Butler, M.A., Curry, K.J., Kreiser, B., Smith, B.J. 2013. Screening strawberry (Fragria x ananassa) germplasm for anthracnose disease resistance using traditional techniques and molecular makers. Phytopathology. 103(Supp.2):97.http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-103-6-S2.1

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Anthracnose of strawberry may be caused by any of three Colletotrichum species: C. acutatum, C. gloeosporioides or C. fragariae. These destructive pathogens may infect the fruit, leaves, petioles, crowns or roots and may cause plant death. Traditional and molecular approaches were used to identify anthracnose resistant strawberry germplasm in a collection of 31cultivars and 46 selections. Following inoculation of whole plants with conidial suspensions of two C. acutatum, one C. gloeosporioides, and two C. fragariae isolates, 83% of the selections and 3% of the cultivars received a resistant score when averaged across the five isolates. The whole plant screening method was compared to a detached leaf assay in which leaves were removed from the 77 strawberry clones and inoculated in the laboratory with conidial suspensions of one C. gloeosporioides and two C. fragariae isolates. Seventy-eight percent of the selections and 3% of the cultivars were rated resistant. The 77 strawberry clones were screened for the presence/absence of two molecular markers that have been reported linked to a C. acutatum resistant gene (Rca2) in strawberry germplasm. Among the 39 clones rated resistant in the whole plant screen, 21 were positive for both and 14 were positive for one of the molecular markers. Correlation of the whole plant and detached leaf assays to the presence or absence of the Rca2 gene could significantly reduce the time it takes to identify anthracnose-resistant genotypes.