Reaction of potato clones and accessions ofSolanum spp. toVerticillium dahliae Kleb. and its toxin

The reaction of 40 potato clones and six accessions ofSolanum spp. to wilt caused byVerticillium dahliae and to the acetone precipitate (AP) of the toxin produced by the pathogen in vitro was studied. There was a highly significant correlation between the wilt reaction of the clones in the glasshouse, the incidence and progress of wilt and severe wilt in the field, and the degree of colonization of stem apices byV. dahliae. Of the clones and accessions evaluated, NDA8694-3, Norgold Russet, BelRus, Superior, Russet Norkotah, Norland andS. demissum were the most susceptible, while A66107-51, A68113-4, Targhee, NDA843-3, Alpha, A7805-8, A7816-14, Russet Nugget,S. chacoense, S. sparsipilum, andS. tarijense were the most resistant to wilt. The reaction of genotypes to the AP ofV. dahliae toxin in an excised leaf bioassay was not correlated with their reaction to Verticillium wilt in the field or glasshouse.