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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #185505
Title: Removal of Apical Dominant Shoot for Disease Resistance Screening Increases Seed Yield of Container-Grown Plants

Author
item Maas, Andrea
item Dashiell, Kenton
item Melouk, Hassan

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/2006
Publication Date: 9/8/2006
Citation: Maas, A.L., Dashiell, K.E., Melouk, H.A. 2006. Removal of Apical Dominant Shoot for Disease Resistance Screening Increases Seed Yield of Container-Grown Plants. Crop Science 46:2013-2014.

Interpretive Summary: There are many constraints to peanut production, which include a wide array of insects, diseases, and abiotic stresses. Host plant resistance is generally viewed as the most cost effective means of mitigating production losses. There are many means of evaluating these stresses however many cause the loss of the plant entirely or at the least loss of yield. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact on seed yield of utilizing a portion of the plant for testing, and also the ability to track a single trait with a detached stem technique. The results of this work demonstrated an increase in seed yield of those plants for which plant material was removed, however the effects of environment mitigated the ability to study the intricacies of genetic inheritance for resistance to Sclerotinia blight.

Technical Abstract: Host plant resistance is generally included as a means of mitigating production losses in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) grower fields. Testing methods which do not impact yield are of particular value in the development of cultivars. The objectives of this research were to determine the viable seed yield of container grown peanut plants, the impact of removing the apical dominant shoot on seed set, and the inheritance of resistance to Sclerotinia minor Jagger using detached-shoot inoculations. F and F plants from a 4 x 4 diallel of the peanut cultivars Tamspan 90, Southwest Runner, Okrun, and Flavor Runner 458, were evaluated in the greenhouse under two treatments, apical shoot removed or not removed in 2003-2005. The mean seed set of the control group (apical shoot not removed) was 12 seeds per plant compared with 15 seeds per plant when the apical shoot was removed. The large variances produced by the detached shoot inoculation technique provided an inconclusive measure of phenotype for classification of Sclerotinia minor resistance in a segregating peanut population.