Evaluation ofFusarium wilt-resistance in primitive races ofGossypium hirsutum L.

Abstract

Seven primitive races ofGossypium hirsutum L.punctatum, marie-galante, richmondi, latifolium, morrilli, palmeri, mexicanum and five F₁ crosses were inoculated withFusarium f. sp.vasinfectum physiological strain I. in the wilt field of Cixi Cotton Institute in 1987. There were highly significant differences among these primitive races.Punctatum andpalmeri were highly resistant. The resistances ofmarie-galante andmexicanum was similar with that of cultivar ‘Simian2’;richmondi, latifolium andmorrilli were susceptible. The disease incidence of F₁ in five primitive races hybridized with cultivar ‘Simian2’ was generally higher than that of mid-parent value. Inheritance of wilt resistance was partially dominant. In addition, 178 accessions of eight primitive races were evaluated for their resistance as before in 1989. There were significant differences in resistance among races and intra-race accessions. There were wilt resistance accessions among primitive races in which disease incidence was below 10%–25%. Inpalmeri, marie-galante, richmondi andpunctatum, one accession was immune with 0% disease incidence, respectively; 22.7–77.4% accessions were susceptible with 50% disease incidence. It showed that primitive races were mixed populations. They should be evaluated and screened for their utilization in cotton breeding program. Some best plants were selected from F₂ of two crosses, ‘Simian2’ ×palmeri and ‘Simian2’ ×mexicanum, based on the resistance toFusarium wilt and the response to photoperiod. 11 lines had been obtained with good fiber quality and relatively high potential production by backcrossing improvement. These lines are now being tested.