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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #160845

Title: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLANT MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS AND RESISTANCE TO SCLEROTINIA MINOR IN LETTUCE.

Author
item Grube, Rebecca
item Aburomia, Rami

Submitted to: Hortscience Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2004
Publication Date: 7/20/2004
Citation: Grube, R.C., Aburomia, R. Relationship between plant morphological traits and resistance to sclerotinia minor in lettuce. Hortscience. 2004. v. 39(4). p. 881.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A low to moderate incidence of lettuce drop caused by Sclerotinia minor is commonly observed in commercial lettuce fields of all types of lettuce (e.g. crisphead, romaine, leaf, butter) and although partial resistance has been reported, no sources of immunity have been described. We sought to determine whether there was variability between different types of lettuce and among cultivars within types. Replicated experiments were conducted in an infested field using established inoculation procedures. Significant variation in susceptibility to S. minor was detected among cultivars within as well as between major lettuce types. Correlations between lettuce drop susceptibility and plant canopy size, seedling vigor, and additional morphological traits were determined. Variability between different field experiments was also evaluated for several traits and a subset of cultivars. Our results suggest that cultivated germplasm may provide genes that are as useful or more useful than those found in genotypes with more primitive growth habits in developing cultivars with tolerance to lettuce drop.