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Development of a resistance screening method to the Asparagus virus 1 (AV-1) in asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.)
Project
Project code: JKI-ZGO-08-4161
Contract period: 01.01.2012
- 30.06.2019
Purpose of research: Applied research
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is intensively exposed to virus attacks as a perennial culture. In Germany nearly all asparagus fields are infested to a high degree with the Asparagus virus 1 (AV-1). This aphid transmitted virus causes yield and quality reductions in asparagus cultivation. The infestation with the AV-1 causes an early dieback of asparagus cultures ('Asparagus-decline'). Furthermore the susceptibility to Fusarium species which causes root and crown rot will be increased. AV-1 infestations often may result in browning of the asparagus spears at harvesting. Recently, all cultivars are susceptible to AV-1 as the state of knowledge revealed. An efficient control of this disease by crop protection agents is impossible. However breeding and cultivation of resistant cultivars seems the only way to control AV-1 in asparagus. The genetic variability of the recent Asparagus cultivars is limited. This suggests that probably resistance could be found in wild relatives of A. officinalis or in the broad gene pool of the genus Asparagus. When resistance resources will be detected, an extensive backcrossing programme will be required for resistance transfer into the cultivars. An efficient resistance screening and selection method will be essential for the selection of resistant genotypes as well as for the backcrossing programme. Methods for the detection of AV-1 by serological (ELISA) as well as by molecular means (PCR) were available. In contrast is an efficient and reproducible method for virus transmission not available. But a successful virus transmission is required for the development of a reproducible screening method. Both, vector mediated transmission by various aphids and various mechanical inoculation approaches will be used to establish a reproducible screening method with a high AV-1 transmission efficiency. The different virus detection methods will be used for the assessment of the virus transmission efficiency as well as for a resistance evaluation programme to AV-1.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Breeding
- Crop Protection
- Genetic Resources
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Institute for Breeding Research on Horticultural Crops (JKI-ZG)