SUMMARYTwo-hundredrand-fifty lines of groundsel {Senecio vulgaris L.) were tested for their reactions to five different isolates of the powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe fischeri Blumer. Fifty-one of the lines were also tested for their reactions to three further isolates. All the lines were tested using detached leaves but a number of them were also tested using seedlings. The seedling tests gave esentially the same results as the detached leaf tests. Over 50 % of the host lines were highly resistant (gave low infection types) to one or more of the mildew isolates and this resistance was isolate-or race-specific. Eight specific resistance factors were differentiated by the eight mildew isolates used in the tests. Some of the resistance factors appear to be present in species of Senecio other than S vulgaris. All eight mildew isolates were complex races with virulence for all but one of the specific resistance factors, the isolates differing from each other in the possession of avirulence for a unique specific resistance factor. The interactions between the host lines and mildew isolates are indicative of a gene-for-gene interaction but the genetic analysis required to establish this was not attempted. The majority of lines which were susceptible to each isolate developed the highest or most susceptible infection type. It is considered that tolerance ot the parasite may operate together with race-specific resistance in an overall survival strategy which has evolved to enable groundsel to cope with mildew attack.

SUMMARYThe inheritance of race specific resistance to five pathotypes of the powdery mildew fungus Erysiphe fischeri Blumer was studied in different lines of Senecio vulgaris L. With two exceptions, resistance was dominant over susceptibility. The exceptions were two crosses in which resistance to pathotype 3 behaved as the recessive character. The data from these crosses suggested the involvement of dominant inhibitor genes which suppressed the activity of the resistance gene. Seven different dominant resistance genes were identified in three resistant lines, two conditioned resistance to pathotype 4, two to pathotype 10 and one each to pathotypes 3, 5 and 11. The two genes conditioning resistance to pathotype 4 were unlinked, as were the two conditioning resistance to pathotype 10. The genes for resistance to pathotypes 3, 5 and 11 were clearly linked in one line and were probably linked in the other two lines. The linkage group also appears to contain one of each of the genes for resistance to pathotype 4 and 10. The expression of the two genes conditioning resistance to 4 and 10, not in the main linkage group, appeared to be reduced in one line, probably due to the activity of modifier genes. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that race-specific resistance in S. vulgaris is controlled by a gene-for-gene interaction.

No abstract