Host response to black sigatoka in Musa germplasm of different ages under natural inoculation conditions

摘要: Abstract The development of an early evaluation method for host response different Musa clones to black sigatoka was investigated under natural inoculation conditions in southeastern Nigeria. Two months old tissue-culture-derived plants three plantain hybrids and parents the were exposed inoculum Mycosphaerella fijiensis a field planted with susceptible cultivar. M. evaluated on these young same mature, field-established plants. Young expressed similar resistance responses as mature allowed earlier host-plant . male diploid banana parent, ‘Calcutta 4’, highly resistant sigatoka. displayed partial before flowering while female triploid plantain, susceptible. Disease both ranked order correlated ( P = 0.01). Young-plant germplasm shown be reliable indicator mature-plant quick means disease reaction assessment. This could accelerate progress made by breeding programs when producing new sigatoka-resistant germplasm.