White Mold and Rhizoctonia Limb Rot Resistance among Advanced Georgia Peanut Breeding Lines1

Abstract

Abstract Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. and Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn are soilborne pathogens causing two major diseases in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) production: white mold and limb rot, respectively. Chemical and cultural control has been relatively ineffective in the past, consequently disease resistance is actively being sought as an environmentally safer and cost efficient alternative. Seven advanced breeding lines were evaluated from the Georgia Peanut Breeding Program and compared to four commercial runner cultivars. Among the cultivars, Southern Runner was found to have the highest yield and resistance to white mold but not limb rot. GA T-2741 had the best overall yield and disease resistance to both white mold and Rhizoctonia limb rot of all cultivars and breeding lines.