Selection Progress for Resistance to Iris Yellow Spot in Onions

Abstract

Onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman)–vectored Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) causes the disease Iris yellow spot (IYS), which is a major threat to the sustainability of onion production worldwide. An increase in thrips resistance to various insecticides, high costs, and the limited efficacy of insecticides under hot and drier conditions found in various onion-growing regions restrict grower’s options for effective control of thrips and spread of IYSV. Because cultivars resistant to thrips and IYS are lacking, this study was undertaken to measure selection progress for IYS resistance after one selection cycle. In 2009, selections were performed on previously evaluated New Mexico State University (NMSU) breeding lines that showed some reduced IYS disease symptoms, and the selected plants self-pollinated the following year. In 2011 and 2012, plants from the original and selected populations along with a susceptible check, ‘Rumba’, were evaluated under field conditions when onion thrips and IYSV were present. Plants were rated for IYS disease severity and the number of thrips per plant was recorded three times during the study in each year. First-generation material, NMSU 10-776, NMSU 10-782, NMSU 10-785, NMSU 10-807, and NMSU 10-813, had fewer thrips number per plant, lower disease severity, and disease incidence than their original breeding lines on at least one or two rating times in both years. Some first-generation breeding lines performed better with a lower thrips number and disease severity than their original population in 1 year or the other. Most entries exhibited fewer thrips, lower IYS disease severity, and less incidence than the susceptible check ‘Rumba’ at most rating times. Overall, some progress was observed in this first-generation material for reduced IYS disease symptom expression when compared with their original populations.