Comparative Resistance to Verticillium Wilt in the Strawberry

Abstract

Verticillium wilt is becoming an increasingly important disease in the strawberry. Several promising varieties released in recent years appear very susceptible to this disease. Serious outbreaks of the disease occurred in replicated variety trials planted at Lafayette, Indiana, in both 1957 and 1964. A relative rating of resistance for each variety or selection was determined from the percentage of dead plants of the thirty mother plants set for each trial. These data were combined with a similar evaluation made in New Jersey** from 48 plants and are presented in Table 1. Only the New Jersey data involving varieties planted at Lafayette in either of the two years are included. When a variety was present in more than one trial, mean values were used in the ranking of varieties. However, the mean percentage of dead plants was lower in the Lafayette than in the New Jersey test.