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Genetics

Genetics of Resistance to Bipolaris setariae in Pearl Millet. Homer D. Wells, Research plant pathologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton 31793; Wayne W. Hanna, Research plant geneticist, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and the University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton 31793. Phytopathology 78:1179-1181. Accepted for publication 14 March 1988. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1988. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-78-1179.

In the summer of 1983 Bipolaris setariae was identified as the organism causing a previously unobserved severe leaf spot on pearl millet on all the plants in a single plot and a few plants in a second plot in a breeding nursery at Tifton, GA. These plants originated from the fourth selfed generation of the fourth backcross to Tift 23DB pearl millet of an original Tift 23DB × Pennisetum glaucum subspecies monodii cross. Genetic studies on F₁, F₂, F₃, and testcross progenies showed the data best fit a 195:61 resistant to susceptible ratio and that resistance was controlled by dominant gene action. The 195:61 inheritance ratio is characteristic of a four-independent-gene system with duplicate dominant resistance genes, one inhibitory gene, and one anti-inhibitory gene. The gene symbols Bp₁ Bp₁ Bp₂ Bp₂ (duplicate genes), bp₃ bp₃ (inhibitory gene), and bp₄ bp₄ (anti-inhibitory gene) were assigned.