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Title: RHIZOCTONIA ROOT ROT RISISTANCE OF BETA PIS FROM THE USDA-ARS NPGS, 2001

Author
item Hanson, Linda
item Panella, Leonard

Submitted to: Biological and Cultural Tests for Control of Plant Diseases
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/18/2002
Publication Date: 5/5/2002
Citation: Hanson, L.E., Panella, L.W. 2002. Rhizoctonia root rot risistance of beta pis from the usda-ars npgs, 2001. Biological and Cultural Tests for Control of Plant Diseases.

Interpretive Summary: Rhizoctonia root and crown rot is the most serious root disease of sugar beet in the United States. Rhizoctonia root rot is difficult to control, and development of sugar beet cultivars with resistance to the disease is important for disease control. In 2001, 30 Plant Introductions from the USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System were tested for resistance to Rhizoctonia root rot. Due to a hot summer and a moderate level of fungal inoculum, the disease progressed quickly and was severe. One of the Plant Introductions had disease levels that were not significantly different from the resistant control.

Technical Abstract: Thirty Plant Introductions (PIs) from the USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System were evaluated for resistance to Rhizoctonia root rot. Materials were planted at the Crops Research Lab-Fort Collins Research Farm in CO and inoculated with dry, ground, barley-grain inoculum of Rhizoctonia solani isolate R-9. Immediately after inoculation, a cultivation was performed to throw soil into the beet crowns. At harvest, each root was rated for rot on a scale of 0 (no damage) to 7 (dead). Analyses of variance were performed on disease indices (DIs), percent healthy roots (undamaged classes 0 and 1 combined), and percentage of roots in classes 0 thru 3 (those most likely to be harvested and taken to the factory). Percentages were transformed using arcsin-square root to normalize the data for analyses. Due to high temperatures in the summer of 2001, combined with a moderate inoculum load, a severe root rot epidemic developed. Differences in DIs among entries were highly significant (P < 0.001). Mean DIs across all tests in the 2001 nursery for highly resistant FC705-1, resistant FC703, and highly susceptible FC901/C817 controls were 1.7, 2.2, and 4.4 respectively. Percentages of healthy roots were 46.5, 34.2, and 10.4% for these controls. Percentages of roots in disease classes 0 thru 3 were 85.9, 74.1, and 29.8, respectively. The highest and lowest DIs for the PIs were 6.9 and 3.4, respectively. One PI accession (IDBBNR 9554) had a DIs not significantly different from the resistant check.