Potential of Somaclonal Celeries for Use in Integrated Pest Management

Abstract

The somaclonal celery lines ‘K-26[1]’, ‘K-I08[3]2’, ‘K-I28’, ‘F-128[3]1’, and ‘F- 128[4]’, developed for resistance to the Fusarium yellows caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. apii, were investigated for susceptibility to Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), and for hazardous concentrations of linear furanocoumarins, a group of compounds toxic to humans and animals, and found in Apium spp. The somacional lines K-26[1], K-I08[3]2, and K-128 were all significantly more resistant to S. exigua than the commercial standard celery ‘Tall Utah 52-70R’. None of the somaclonal lines had total leaf contents of linear furanocoumarins significantly different from levels found in 52- 70R. Petiole contents of furanocoumarins in the different celeries were variable, but below levels reported to cause acute dermatitis (18 µg/g fresh weight) or even chronic dermatitis (7 µg/g)in humans. Because the new somaclonal lines have resistance to a major celery disease, Fusarium yellows, the K-26[1], K-108[3]2, and K-128 lines represent good potential components for integration into breeding programs for integrated pest management for celery.