Strong Resistance to Early and Late Leaf Spot in Peanut-Compatible Wild-Derived Induced Allotetraploids

Early (ELS) and late leaf spots (LLS) are two of the most destructive diseases in peanut (Arachis hypogaea). They can cause severe plant defoliation and tremendous yield loss in the absence of fungicide applications. The high costs of fungicides, their potential for deleterious effects on the environment, the tightening of regulations, and the development of fungicide resistance call for additional management strategies to mitigate both diseases. The use of resistant cultivars is an economical way to manage these diseases, but there are limited sources of leaf spot resistance available in cultivated peanuts. Wild peanut species are excellent sources of resistance, but because of the ploidy level, they do not produce fertile progeny when crossed with peanut. To circumvent this, induced allotetraploids were developed so that resistance traits can be introgressed from wild species into peanut. Here we screened 13 induced allotetraploids (BatDur1, BatDur2, BatSten1, GregSten1, IpaCor1, IpaCor2, IpaDur1, IpaDur2, IpaDur3, IpaVillo1, MagDur1, MagSten1, and ValSten1) against ELS and LLS using a detached leaf bioassay to characterize various components of resistance and identify genotypes that can be used for breeding. Strong associations were detected between the measured components of disease resistance (r = 0.91 to 1.0; P < 0.001) and between ELS and LLS bioassays (r = 0.81 to 0.91; P < 0.001). Induced allotetraploids, particularly those derived from A. stenosperma, exhibited fewer and smaller lesions with limited sporulation and reductions in disease progression in both bioassays. Interestingly, allotetraploids derived from the B-genome peanut progenitor A. ipaensis were almost as susceptible as cultivated genotypes. The overall results reveal several sources of foliar disease resistance that can be used in breeding programs for ELS and LLS resistance.Copyright (c) 2023 The Author(s).

Automated summary

Early and late leaf spots are destructive diseases in peanut. Using resistant cultivars is an economical way to manage these diseases, but there are limited sources of leaf spot resistance in cultivated peanuts. Induced allotetraploids, particularly those derived from A. stenosperma, showed superior resistance against both diseases. This study provides new genetic resources for improving peanut's resistance to early and late leaf spots.