EVALUATION OF LEMON CULTIVARS AND ACID LIME X LEMON HYBRIDS FOR RESISTANCE TO XANTHOMONAS-AXONOPODIS PV. CITRI

Eight lemon cultivars were screened against different isolates of Xant homonas axonopodis pv. cirri Vauterin et al., 1995, causal agent of ci trus bacterial canker disease, by artificial inoculation. More over, f ifty seven hybrids of acid lime x lemon were subjected to screening un der natural epiphytotic conditions in the field. Most of the lemon cul tivars exhibited high level of resistance against different isolates o f X. axonopodis pv. citri. Variability was observed in the virulence a mong different X. axonopodis pv. citri isolates. Two hybrids from acid lime x Nepali round lemon were free from disease, while six hybrids w ere resistant. Quite a few hybrids from acid lime x Nepali oblong lemo n and acid lime x Nepali round lemon were moderately resistant. Studie s revealed possibilities of evolving bacterial canker resistant hybrid s of acid lime and lemon. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.