Identification of sugar beet germplasm EL51 as a source of resistance to post-emergence Rhizoctonia damping-off

Resistance of sugar beet seedlings to Rhizoctonia damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani has not been described. A series of preliminary characterisations using a single susceptible host and four different R. solani isolates suggested the disease progression pattern was predictable. Two AG-4 isolates and a less virulent AG-2-2 isolate (W22) showed a comparable pattern of disease progression in the growth chamber where disease index values increased for the first 5-6 days, were relatively constant for the next 7-8 days, and declined thereafter. Seedlings inoculated with a highly virulent AG-2-2 isolate (R-1) under the same conditions showed similar patterns for the first 4 days post-inoculation; however disease index values continued to increase until seedling death at 13-14 days. Similar results were observed in the greenhouse, and a small expanded set of other germplasm lines were screened. One tested germplasm accession, EL51, survived seedling inoculation with R. solani AG-2-2 R-1, and its disease progress pattern was characterised. In a field seedling disease nursery artificially inoculated with R. solani AG-2-2 R-1, seedling persistence was high with EL51, but not with a susceptible hybrid. Identification of EL51 as a source of resistance to Rhizoctonia damping-off may allow investigations into the Beta vulgaris-Rhizoctonia solani pathosystem and add value in sugar beet breeding.