STUDIES ON FUSARIUM-GLADIOLUS INTERACTIONS

Using standardized conditions, 65 genotypes of Gladiolus were screened for Fusarium resistance. High levels were found in 'large-flowered' t ypes, Primulinus hybrids, G. callianthus, G. garnierii, and G. dalenii . Some accessions of G. dalenii exhibited no disease symptoms when ino culated with two standard test isolates. No resistance was found in 's mall-flowered' types. To estimate race-specifity of the resistance, ei ght highly resistant Gladiolus genotypes were tested in an in vitro te st against 43 isolates of F. oxysporum f.sp. gladioli. Two isolates we re able to partially infect the G. dalenii accessions and this was con firmed using whole plants. Implications for resistance breeding are di scussed.