Sources of resistance to eastern filbert blight in hazelnut

Abstract

Eastern filbert blight is an economically significant disease in European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) production in the United States. Since genetic resistance is the only viable disease control strategy to this fungal disease caused by Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Muller, greenhouse and field screening of germplasm was undertaken to study the inheritance from known resistant sources and to identify new sources for inclusion in the breeding program. We confirmed that 'Gasaway' resistance to this disease is conferred by a single dominant gene. No major gene was identified in the field-resistant cultivar Gem. Representatives of six Corylus species were screened to identify new resistant germplasm. Corylus cornuta Marshall var. cornuta, C. cornuta var. californica (A.DC.) Sharp, C. heterophylla Fischer, and C. sieboldiana Blume were highly resistant, as were most C. americana Marshall genotypes and one C. colurna L. clone tested, but C. jacquemontii Decaisne was highly susceptible. In several cases, hybrids of these species with susceptible C. avellana were also resistant. These new sources of resistance are being incorporated in the resistance breeding effort.