GENETIC-ANALYSIS OF RESISTANCE TO THE SOUTHERN ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE IN CAPSICUM CHINENSE JACQ

Greenhouse tests were conducted to compare the levels of resistance to the southern root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & Whit e) Chitwood] exhibited by recently released Capsicum chinense Jacq, Sc otch Bonnet-type germplasm lines PA-353, PA-398, and PA-426 to the lev els of resistance exhibited by C. annuum L. 'Carolina Cayenne' and 'Mi ssissippi Nemaheart'; to determine the inheritance of the resistance i n C. chinense germplasm line PA-426; and to determine the genetic rela tionship between the resistances exhibited by C. chinense germplasm li ne PA-426 and C, annuum 'Carolina Cayenne', The results of a replicate d test indicated that the level of resistances exhibited by the recent ly released C, chinense germplasm lines is equal to the level of resis tances exhibited by the resistant C. annuum cultivars, Evaluation of p arental, F-1, F-2, and backcross populations of the cross PA-426 x PA- 350 (a susceptible Habanero-type C. chinense cultigen) indicated that the resistance in C. chinense is conditioned by a single dominant gene . The results of an allelism test indicated that this dominant gene is allelic to the dominant gene that renditions much of the southern roo t-knot nematode resistance in the C. annuum 'Carolina Cayenne'. The ea se and reliability of evaluating plants for resistance to root-knot ne matodes and the availability of a simply inherited source of outstandi ng resistance makes breeding for southern root-knot nematode resistanc e a viable objective in C. chinense breeding programs.