Development of Erysiphe pulchra, the causal agent of powdery mildew, on leaf disks of susceptible and resistant flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

Understanding the relative contribution of the different resistance components is necessary to develop selection schemes and accelerate resistant-cultivar development. This study was conducted to investigate spore germination, infection-structure formation, and fungal development of Erysiphe pulchra, the causal agent of powdery mildew, on leaf disks of six cultivars or lines of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) with different levels of resistance. The cultivars and lines tested were grouped into the following three resistance categories: highly susceptible ('Cherokee Daybreak' and MW 94-60), moderately susceptible ('Cherokee Princess' and MW 95-25), and resistant ('Cherokee Brave' and 'Karen's Appalachian Blush'). Percentages of spore germination and secondary-appressoria formation were not significantly different among the cultivars and lines. Significantly less percent germinated conidia with branched hyphae were observed on resistant cultivars than on the moderately susceptible cultivar or line, which was less than on the highly susceptible cultivar or line. Infection efficiencies were significantly different among cultivars and lines in the three resistance categories, except that there were no differences between 'Cherokee Princess' and the resistant cultivars. Resistant cultivars supported shorter latent periods than moderately and highly susceptible cultivars or lines, but no differences in latent period were detected between the later two resistance categories. The recently released 'Karen's Appalachian Blush' expressed higher levels of resistance to powdery mildew than did 'Cherokee Brave', as indicated by the longer latent period and reduced relative sporulation of the pathogen.