BREEDING FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE IN PLANTS

Breeding plants for resistance to nematodes.

Plant breeders and nematologists have developed improved cultivars of important crop species with resistance to plant-parasitic nematodes. The effectiveness of these breeding efforts has depended on the availability of efficient screening procedures, identification of adequate sources of durable resistance, nature of the nematode feeding habit, and knowledge of the inheritance of resistance. Th...

Breeding for Salt-Resistance Using Transgressive Segregation in Spring Wheat

Hybrid populations (F3) derived from cross between four moderate salt-resistant spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were assessed for transgressive segregation of salt-tolerant genotypes allowing germination and emergence at 350 mM NaCl for 30 days. The achieved Selection intensity was the order of 0.24-0.27 in these segregation populations (22-25 seedlings from 9000 seeds). Assessment of trans...

Novel genes for disease-resistance breeding.

Plant disease control is entering an exciting period during which transgenic plants showing improved resistance to pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi and insects are being developed. This review summarizes the first successful attempts to engineer fungal resistance in crops, and highlights two promising approaches. Biotechnology provides the promise of new integrated disease management strateg...

Breeding Cattle for Genetic Resistance to Disease

Breeding for disease resistance in Merino sheep in Australia.

Breeding for disease resistance in Merino sheep in Australia has attracted considerable research and development attention. Increased labour costs, the reduced efficacy of common anthelmintics and insecticides, consumer demand for products which are free of chemicals and the poor prognosis of alternative long-term control strategies are all forcing sheep breeders to contemplate the best animal ...