Breeding Strategies for Woody Ornamentals: Selection Towards Disease Resistance with Particular Reference to Powdery Mildew

摘要

In bleeding programmes, including those for woody ornamentals, polyploidiza-tion and interspecific hybridisation offer potential to introduce new genetic variation. Some examples in Buddleja and Hibiscus breeding programs are presented, In roses, as in many other species, disease resistance breeding is currently one of the major challenges. To be able to select genotypes with enhanced disease resistance, appropriate bioassays are needed. Inoculation protocols to test powdery mildew resistance of both parent plants and large populations of progenies have been developed. By these methods an early selection towards powdery mildew resistance is possible in a cost-effective way.