Genetic analysis of resistance to blackspot (Diplocarpon rosae) in tetraploid roses

Diplocarpon rosae is the causal agent of rose blackspot, one of the most severe diseases of field-grown roses. The genetics of resistance to this pathogen was investigated in crosses between tetraploid rose genotypes. The hybrid breeding line 91/100-5, which exhibits a broad resistance to all isolates tested so far, was selfed to produce an F-2 population, backcrossed to the susceptible tetraploid variety 'Caramba' and crossed to the susceptible varieties 'Heckenzauber', 'Pariser Charme' and 'Elina'. Infection experiments resulted in segregation ratios consistent with the presence of a single dominant resistance locus in the duplex configuration in the hybrid 91/100-5. This suggests, together with previous data on the race structure of the fungus, a "gene-for-gene" type of interaction in the pathosystem Diplocarpon/Rosa. We propose to designate this gene Rdr1, which is the first resistance gene described in the genus Rosa. The advantages and limitations of such an interaction type for future rose breeding programmes and for marker-assisted selection strategies are discussed.