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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317911
Title: Genetic resistances

Author
item BIANCARDI, ENRICO - University Of Padua
item Panella, Leonard

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2016
Publication Date: 10/3/2016
Citation: Panella, L.W. and Iancadi, E. 2016. Genetic Resistances. In: Biancardi, E., Tamada, T., editors. Rhizomania. New York, NY: Springer International Publishing. p. 195-220.

Interpretive Summary: Genetic resistance often has been recognized as the most viable mean for limiting soil-borne diseases. In sugar beet, it is only for Beet necrotic yellow vein virus, i.e., rhizomania that a set of fairly different and effective, single-gene resistance is currently available, while for other soil-borne diseases of sugar beet, traits with low heritability have been found. Varieties endowed with multiple resistances to other soil-borne diseases would be very useful, but so far nothing similar to the single-gene resistance to rhizomania exists in sugar beet for other soil borne diseases. With rhizomania, the presence of varieties carrying some trait of resistance and a sufficient degree of genetic variability, originally were detected through differences within trials in fields naturally infected by the still unknown syndrome. The discovery of the disease outside Italy and the recognition of the unusually high yield losses, involved the interest of research institutes, seed companies, growers associations, and beet sugar industry in Europe, Japan, and the USA. In relatively few years, thanks to international synergies and collaborations, the damage caused by the disease was almost completely eliminated, allowing the survival of the crop and the related industry. The probability of finding new sources of resistance, with the qualities demanded through the registration procedure, is quite low in commercial sugar beet germplasm.

Technical Abstract: Genetic resistance often has been recognized as the most viable mean for limiting soil-borne diseases. In sugar beet, it is only for Beet necrotic yellow vein virus, i.e., rhizomania that a set of fairly different and effective, single-gene resistance is currently available, while for other soil-borne diseases of sugar beet, multi-genic traits with low heritability have been found. Varieties endowed with multiple resistances to other soil-borne diseases would be very useful, but so far nothing similar to the single-gene resistance to rhizomania exists in sugar beet for other soil borne diseases. With rhizomania, the presence of varieties carrying some trait of resistance and a sufficient degree of genetic variability, originally were detected through differences within trials in fields naturally infected by the still unknown syndrome. The discovery of the disease outside Italy and the recognition of the unusually high yield losses, involved the interest of research institutes, seed companies, growers associations, and beet sugar industry in Europe, Japan, and the USA. In relatively few years, thanks to international synergies and collaborations, the damage caused by the disease was almost completely eliminated, allowing the survival of the crop and the related industry. The probability of finding new sources of resistance, with the qualities demanded through the registration procedure, is quite low in commercial sugar beet germplasm. This primarily is due to the selection methods employed for breeding the currently used monogerm hybrid varieties, and by their narrow genetic variability.