New Trifolium subterraneum genotypes identified with resistance to race 2 of Kabatiella caulivora and cross-resistance to fungal root rot pathogens

Abstract

One hundred subterranean clover genotypes including 72 advanced breeding lines from Trifolium subterraneum ssp. subterraneum and Trifolium subterraneum ssp. yanninicum and 28 Trifolium subterraneum commercial cultivars were screened in the field for resistance to race 2 of Kabatiella caulivora, and the resistances found were related to known resistance to major root pathogens in the region. Race 2 of K. caulivora causes severe damage on subterranean clover in the south-eastern coastal region of Western Australia and 72 of the 100 genotypes tested were resistant to this race, with levels similar to those shown by the cultivar Denmark. The unique importance of this study was that, for 12 genotypes of subterranean clover, these resistances were related to those shown to major root pathogens, viz. one or more of Phytophthora clandestina, Pythium irregulare, and Fusarium avenaceum. Availability of genotypes with such resistances to multiple pathogens is expected to be particularly valuable for the breeding/selection of subterranean clover in relation to the development of new cultivars with effective resistance to a range of pathogens that commonly occur in southern Australian annual legume pastures.