Development of black rot resistant interspecific hybrids between Brassica oleracea L. cultivars and Brassica accession A 19182, using embryo rescue

Abstract

Black rot is a bacterial disease of Brassica oleracea caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Resistance to the major black rot races 1 or 4 has been identified in related Brassica species including B. carinata and B. napus. In this study, two B. juncea accessions (A 19182 and A 19183) that are resistant to races 1 and 4 of Xcc were used as maternal and paternal parents to generate interspecific hybrids with B. oleracea cultivars. Interspecific hybrids were recovered using the embryo rescue technique and confirmed through inheritance of paternal molecular markers. Twenty-six interspecific hybrid plants were obtained between A 19182 and B. oleracea cultivars, but no interspecific hybrids were obtained using A 19183. Although interspecific hybrid plants were male sterile, they were used successfully as maternal parents to generate backcross plants using embryo rescue. All hybrid and BC1 plants were resistant to black rot races 1 and 4.