Test Systems for Evaluating Quantitative Resistance Against Fusarium Foot Rot in Inbred Lines of Winter Rye

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Abstract
The first results of three test systems for evaluating the susceptibility of rye inbred lines to foot rot caused by Fusarium culmorum and F. graminearum are presented. The test systems were specifically designed for greenhouse, foliar tent and field experiments. The inbred lines, some of which are being used in commercial hybrids, showed significant variation for resistance. Significant interactions occurred between genotypes and test systems, and within the test systems between genotypes and years or growth stages. A significant correlation existed between susceptibility in the greenhouse and in the field (r = 0.84, P = 0.05), when inoculation in the greenhouse took place at the jointing stage (EC 31). In earlier growth stages, however, this correlation was not significant. In both greenhouse and foliar tent experiments, susceptibility to F. culmorum and F. graminearum was strongly correlated (r = 0.71, 0.87, resp., P = 0.01). In the field, F. culmorum alone was used for artificial inoculation. Genotypic variance and repeatability in the field were highest after inoculation in spring with conidia suspensions. It is concluded that, in inbreeding generations with limited seed quantities, the greenhouse and the foliar‐tent test systems offer good possibilities of indirectly improving foot‐rot resistance in rye.