Response of lentil cultivars to rhizoctonia seedling diseases in Canada

Abstract

Fourteen cultivars of lentil (Lens culinaris) were evaluated for their reaction to rhizoctonia seedling blight and root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani in greenhouse trials, and in field experiments conducted at Brooks, Alberta, Canada in 2003 and 2004. Inoculation produced high levels of disease; stand losses were 56–96% in greenhouse trials and 54–88% in field trials. There were small but consistent differences in disease reaction among the cultivars. Cultivar ‘Laird’ consistently had the highest seedling survival, and ‘Cdc Milestone’, ‘Cdc LeMay’ and ‘Cdc Plato’ were also relatively less susceptible than the other lines. ‘Indianhead’ and ‘Cdc Richlea’ were highly susceptible. Cluster analysis grouped eight relatively less susceptible cultivars into one group and the other six highly susceptible cultivars into another. A correlation between the results of greenhouse and field trials (r = 0.43 — 0.46, P = 0.10) indicated that greenhouse evaluations could provide a useful indication of cultivar performance in response to R. solani in the field.