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Title: EVALUATION OF RESISTANCE TO SUGARCANE RED ROT IN BASIC GERMPLASM AND EARLY GENERATION CROSSES IN LOUISIANA

Author
item Veremis, John
item HOY, JEFF - LSU AG CENTER, B.R., LA

Submitted to: American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/9/2005
Publication Date: 7/20/2005
Citation: Veremis, J.C., Hoy, J.W. 2005. Evaluation of Resistance to Sugarcane Red Rot in Basic Germplasm and Early Generation Crosses in Louisiana [abstract]. Journal of the American Society of Sugar Cane Technologists. 25. Available: http://assct.org/journal/journal.htm

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The susceptibility of current cultivars to red rot disease of planted seed-cane, caused by Colletotrichum falcatum, indicates a need to identify and incorporate sources of resistance in commercial breeding programs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sugarcane basic germplasm collection maintained by the Sugarcane Research Unit and two S. spontaneum hybrid progeny populations for genetic diversity of host plant resistance to red rot. The experiment was conducted with detached, inoculated stalks. Eighty basic clones representing species of Saccharum, one clone of Miscanthus and two clones from Erianthus were screened. Among the Saccharum species, S. officinarum(8), S. robustum(10), S. barberi(15), S. sinense(11), S. spontaneum(32), and interspecific hybrids(4) were evaluated using a commercial Saccharum interspecific hybrid, LCP85-384, as the susceptible control. Also included in this evaluation were F1 hybrids (119) between S. officinarum (La Striped, classified as highly susceptible) and S. spontaneum (SES147, classified as resistant) and F2 hybrids (178) between two interspecific F1 hybrids of SES 234 (female parent) and LCP85-384. Expression of resistance in these clones and single F1 and F2 progeny populations was assessed as the number of nodes passed (the ability of the infection to move through the node) and the number of and extent of internode rotting. A 1 to 9 rot index, based on the number of nodes passed and rot severity, was developed with 1 representing no rotting and 9 representing all internodes rotted. For our purpose, a clone with a rating of 3 or less was considered resistant. New sources of resistance were found among Erianthus (2), S. barberi (5), S. robustum (2), S. sinense (1), S. spontaneum (4) and the interspecific hybrids (2). Inheritance of resistance to red rot was evaluated using the interspecific F1 hybrids between La Striped and SES147 and the F2 progeny between two interspecific F1 hybrids of SES234 and LCP85-384. The resistance ratings of the S. spontaneum cytoplasm parents of the F2 population were 4 and 2, and the susceptible control cultivar LCP85-384 was 9. The S. spontaneum cytoplasmic F2 progeny produced a higher frequency of resistance 47 of 178 than the F1 hybrids 4 of 119. S. spontaneum hybrids were identified as potential sources of resistance to red rot. The results from the progeny populations suggest that the utilization of identified resistance sources in crossing could increase the frequency of red rot resistance in the cultivar selection population.