Submitted to: International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 5, 1999
Publication Date: N/A
Technical Abstract: Powder mildew caused by Erysiphe polygoni DC can be devastating to sugarbeet production particularly in warm, dry climates. Although resistance to certain races of E. polygoni exists in sugarbeet, the disease is typically controlled though the use of fungicides. The identification of broad resistance to sugarbeet powdery mildew in the wild beet B. vulgaris spp. maritima was followed by the incorporation of this resistance into sugarbeet by recurrent backcrossing and progeny testing. Germplasm accession C37 was used as the susceptible, recurrent parent and P604 is theF2BC3 population at the intermediate stage of the introgression. Three DNA pools each were produced for C37 and P604; each pool was comprised of the DNA from 7 individual plants. A diprimer adaptation of the RAPD analysis was applied to the DNA pools, where one of the primers was composed of a sequence homologous to that encoding a core sequence found in many plant disease resistance genes. Amplified products were identified that were associated with all three DNA pools derived from P604 plants, but with none of the three DNA pools derived from C37. The possibility that some of the amplified products contain sequences of the gene conferring resistance to sugarbeet powdery mildew is discussed.