Development of bacterial spot on near-isogenic lines of bell pepper carrying gene pyramids composed of defeated major resistance genes

Disease severity caused by races 1 through 6 of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria on eight near-isogenic lines (isolines) of Early Calwonder (ECW) with three major resistance genes (Bs1, Bs2, and Bs3) in different combinations was evaluated in the greenhouse and field. Strains representing races 1, 3, 4, and 6 caused similar high levels of disease severity, followed by races 2 and 5 on susceptible ECW. Race 3 caused severe disease on all isolines lacking resistance gene Bs2. Race 4, which defeats Bs1 and Bs2, caused less disease on isoline ECW-12R (carries Bs1 + Bs2), than on isolines ECW, ECW-10R (carries Bs1), and ECW-20R (carries Bs2). Similar results were obtained with race 4 strains in field studies conducted during 1997 and 1998. In greenhouse studies, race 6, which defeats all three major genes, caused less disease on isoline ECW-13R (carries Bs1 + Bs3) and ECW-123R (carries Bs1 + Bs2 + Bs3) than on isolines ECW, ECW-10R, ECW-20R, and ECW-30R (carries Bs3), but not on ECW-23R (carries Bs2 + Bs3). In greenhouse studies with commercial hybrids, strains of races 4 and 6 caused less disease on Boynton Bell (carries Bs1 + Bs2) than on Camelot (carries no known resistance genes), King Arthur (carries Bs1), and X3R Camelot (carries Bs2). Race 6 caused less disease on hybrid R6015 (carries Bs1 + Bs2 + Bs3) and Sentinel (carries Bs1 + Bs3) than on Camelot. Residual effects were not as evident in field studies with race 6 strains. Defeated major resistance genes deployed in specific gene combinations (i.e., gene pyramids) were associated with less area under the disease progress curve than when genes were deployed individually in isolines of ECW or commercial hybrids. Successful management of bacterial spot of pepper is achieved incrementally by integrating multiple tactics. Although there is evidence of residual effects from defeated genes, these effects alone likely will not provide acceptable bacterial spot control in commercial production fields. However, when combined with sanitation practices and a judicious spray program, pyramids of defeated resistance genes may aid in reducing the risk of major losses due to bacterial spot.