Inheritance of Resistance to Beet Western Yellows Virus in Lactuca virosa L.

Abstract

Beet western yellows virus (BWYV), a member of the Luteovirus group, causes severe losses in many lettuce-growing areas. Attempts to identify complete resistance to BWYV in lettuce cultivars (Lactuca sativa L.) or in L. serriola L. and L. saligna L. were unsuccessful. Among three accessions of L. virosa tested, one, IVT 280, appeared to be extremely resistant to BWYV. Heredity of this resistance was studied in crosses with susceptible L. virosa IVT 1398. The results were compatible with the hypothesis of one gene, with resistance being dominant. The symbol Bw for Beet western is proposed for this gene.