The degree of resistance in parents has a profound effect on the frequency of resistance in offspring. So far, no clear cut inheritance pattern for red rot resistance has been worked out in previous studies and only scanty work on this aspect has been done. Keeping this in view, present study was undertaken to study the role of parental resistance in the development of red rot disease in their progenies. Sixty-seven parental clones/germplasm comprising Saccharum species, viz., S. spontaneum (24), S. officinarum (4), S. barberi (4). S. sinense (7), S. robustum (4), Co-hybrids (16), interspecific hybrids (4) and clones showing horizontal resistant genotypes (4) were evaluated by plug method of inoculation using a virulent isolate of C. falcatum Went (Co 1148, Jagadhari) to find out the nature of inheritance of resistance to red rot pathogen in sugarcane.
The data recorded after 60 days of inoculation revealed that in S. spontaneum only 59% clones were resistant, while all the cones of S. barberi were resistant. Lowest degree of resistance was recorded in Co-hybrids (25%) and in clones of S. sinense (29%). However, the clones of S. officinarum, S. robustum, inter specific hybrids (ISH) and some genotypes, earlier identified as having horizontal resistance, showed resistance and susceptible ratio of 1:1.
Inheritance, sugarcane, red rot resistance
