Obtaining resistant lettuce progenies to downy mildew

Abstract

Lettuce is the most consumed leafy vegetable in Brazil. Its production, nonetheless, is increasing in difficulties mainly due to the infestation of producing areas with Bremia lactucae. Thus, the use of horizontal resistant cultivars is the most viable alternative in controlling progress of disease. So, the objective of this study was to obtain resistant lettuce progenies to the races of downy mildew: SPBl:01, SPBl:02, SPBl:03, SPBl:04, SPBl:05, SPBl:06 and SPBl:07. The breeding consisted of two stages: crossover of parentals to obtain the resistant lettuce progenies and endurance test of the progeny to B. lactucae races. The parentals used to obtain progenies with resistance factor R-18 and R-38 were: JAB 4-13-7 and JAB 4-13-7. The Pedigree method was used for obtaining the progeny, using as default selections the Hortência cultivar and JAB 4-13-7genotype. After selection and selfing of the plants in the field, the resistance or susceptibility test was realized, by inoculation of the progenies from the crosses, with mixture of distilled water + sporangia of B. lactucae races SPBl:01, SPBl:02, SPBl:03, SPBl:04, SPBl:05, SPBl:06 and SPBl:07 obtained from isolates collected in the years 2008-2010. Fifteen days after inoculation, the seedlings were selected as resistant or susceptible, discarding those presenting sporulation and necrotic spots caused by B. lactucae. Through the Pedigree method we found 69 progenies F3 with good agronomic characteristics. However, after resistance or susceptibility test, only 19 showed all the plants resistant to downy mildew.