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Transfer of Powdery Mildew Resistance from Helianthus debilis Nutt. to Cultivated Sunflower¹

Powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum) of sunflower is a disease which can have a serious economic impact when the crop is grown in warmer regions. An accession of H. debilis ssp. debilis Nutt. (2n=34) found to be highly resistant to sunflower powdery mildew at Davis, CA was used in a program to transfer resistance to the cultivated sunflower, Helianthus annuus L. (2n=34). Plants of the wild accession were pollinated by the susceptible H. annuus cv. Peredovik and line P21. The F₁ plants were backcrossed once with P21 and the BC₁F₁ plants were selfpollinated, sib-pollinated, or further backcrossed with P21. Disease evaluations on all tested plants were conducted in a greenhouse under cool temperature and high humidity using previously infected, susceptible plants as the source of inoculum. Infection was measured as the percent of leaf surface covered by mildew. The mean infection percentages of P21, the F₁ and H. debilis were 100, 15, and 0, respectively. Resistance was incompletely dominant in the F₁ and backcross progenies. This source of disease resistance may enable the production of resistant hybrid cultivars suitable for warmer regions.

Key Words: Interspecific gene transfer

² Former research geneticist, USDA-ARS and postgraduate research agronomist, Univ. of California, Davis. Currently research geneticists, USDA-ARS, North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND 58105 and Davis, CA.

Received for publication February 21, 1984.