Screening Table Beet and Swiss Chard for Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pathovar aptata

Abstract

Bacterial leaf spot (BLS) has emerged in the last few decades as an economically important disease of both table beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris ssp. cicla). BLS is caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. aptata, which is spread readily on infected seeds. Symptoms appear as circular to irregular shaped, with a tan to dark brown center and a very dark border. Disease incidence and severity is dependent on cool, humid conditions and can vary widely year to year depending on the environment. Both the vegetative and reproductive phases of these biennial crops are susceptible to the pathogen. Table beet and Swiss chard commercial cultivars (n = 21), table beet breeding lines (n = 5), and table beet plant introductions (PIs) (n = 26) were screened for response to spray inoculation with P. syringae pv. aptata in a controlled greenhouse setting. Plants were rated for severity of symptoms using percent of the area of each pair of leaves (leaf set) with symptoms and an overall plant score assigned based on the scores for each leaf pair. Accessions varied in BLS susceptibility. PI accessions were most variable, with the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) ranging from 1.33 to 8.75. Highly significant differences among PIs were detected for disease scores in the vegetative stage, beginning 21 days after inoculation. Screens during the reproductive growth stage showed the least variation in AUDPC among PIs. Although cultivars varied less than PIs, good BLS resistance (low disease scores) was noted for ‘Touchstone Gold’, ‘Kestrel’, ‘Bull’s Blood’, ‘Rainbow’ chard, as well as PIs 222234 and NSL 28026. Accessions W451C, Red Cloud, Detroit Dark Red, and NSL 28020 were highly susceptible. There was no consistent association between disease score in the vegetative and reproductive phases, suggesting that breeders may need to screen for BLS in both phases of the biennial life cycle. The more resistant PIs or cultivars identified in this study can be used in future efforts to breed for host resistance to BLS and to establish mapping populations to better understand the genetic control of resistance, to aid in breeding efforts.