AN EFFICIENT METHOD TO EVALUATE ALFALFA CULTIVARS FOR RESISTANCE TO VERTICILLIUM WILT

A growth-room technique was developed to evaluate alfalfa cultivars for resistance to verticillium wilt caused by Verticillium alba-atrum Reinke & Berthold. The process involves growing alfalfa seedlings in Cornell mix in Roottrainers(TM) and inoculating the seedlings in batches of 96, without digging, root-washing or transplanting individual seedlings. This method was shown to be effective and efficient in screening large numbers of alfalfa seedlings, approximately 1000 seedlings m-2, using little growth-room space and minimum labor.