Germplasm Evaluation of Glycine max for Resistance to Fusarium solani, the Causal Organism of Sudden Death Syndrome.

Sudden death syndrome (SDS) is an important soybean disease that potentially can be controlled by host plant resistance. In this study, over 800 soybean plant introductions (PIs), lines, and cultivars were screened for resistance to Fusarium solani. Of 728 PIs from China, PI 567.374 had mean foliar SDS severities significantly (P = 0.05) lower than PI 520.733 (resistant check) in both growth-chamber and greenhouse tests. In addition, PIs 567.315, 567.441C, 567.650B, and 567.664 had mean SDS severity ratings significantly (P = 0.05) lower than PI 520.733 in a growth-chamber test. Of 16 soybean cyst nematode-resistant entries tested, 5 had values lower than the resistant check, PI 520.733, with cv. Hartwig significantly lower in the first trial. In trial two, no entries were lower than the resistant check, although cvs. Bell and Hartwig were not significantly different from PI 520.733. In another experiment, few soybean cultivars or experimental lines had SDS severity ratings lower than PI 520.733 in any one of three trials. Some of the newly acquired PIs from China that exhibited low foliar SDS severity ratings may provide the sources of resistance needed to develop new SDS-resistant soybean breeding lines and cultivars.