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Title: STRAWBERRY PARENT CLONES US 4808 AND US 4809 RESISTANT TO BACTERIAL ANGULAR LEAF SPOT DISEASE CAUSED BY XANTHOMONAS FRAGARIAE

Author
item Maas, John
item HOKANSON, STAN - UNIV OF MINNESOTA
item Hartung, John

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The bacterium Xanthomonas fragariae causes an economically important disease, bacterial angular leaf spot, of strawberry. This disease reduces fruit yields in production fields through leaf infection, makes fruit unmarketable when fruit is affected, and kills young nursery plants transplanted into new production fields. There is no adequate chemical control for this disease and all commercial strawberry varieties are susceptible to the disease. Incorporation of genetic resistance obtained from native strawberry plants would be a great asset in controlling this disease. We evaluated 81 strawberry types, commercial and native plants, for resistance to angular leaf spot and found that two plants were resistant to the disease. These plants are close relatives to the commercial strawberry and can be used directly in a breeding program for developing new varieties resistant to angular leaf spot. Successful incorporation of resistance and development of new resistant varieties adapted to different growing regions will economically benefit fruit producers and plant nurserymen.

Technical Abstract: Bacterial angular leaf spot disease of strawberry (Fragaria species and F. x ananassa Duchesne cultivars) has become increasingly important to strawberry fruit and plant production in Canada and the United States, as well as in other countries. Since this disease, caused by Xanthomonas fragariae Kennedy and King, was first documented from Minnesota in 1960, it has become of worldwide concern because of its economic importance in strawberry fruit and nursery-plant production and lack adequate disease control strategies. There is great interest in incorporating genetic resistance into strawberry breeding programs; however until now, no sources of resistance to this disease have been identified. We tested 81 Fragaria genotypes, including representatives of F. x ananassa, F. chiloensis (L.) Duchesne, F. virginiana Duchesne, and F. vesca L., for resistance to four pathogenic strains of X. fragariae. Two genotypes, US 4808, a native F. virginiana from Minnesota and US 4809, a hybrid selection from a F. virginiana X F. x ananassa `Earliglow', were found to be highly resistant to all four bacterial strains. These clones are being released to breeders as parental sources of resistance to X. fragariae.