Introgression of resistance to Alternaria leaf spot from wild species into susceptible cultivated safflower

Alternaria leaf spot (ALS) caused by Alternaria carthami Chowdhury can cause yield loss up to 90% in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) under severe conditions. Even though a definite source of ALS resistance is not available in cultivated species, a few of the wild species, viz. C. palaestinus and C. lantaus, are known to be tolerant to ALS. Therefore, an attempt was made to introgress Alternaria resistance from these species into cultivated species. F-1-F-8 generations of crosses (PI537632 x C. palaestinus), (C. palaestinus x PI537632), ("Nira" x C. palaestinus) and ([MS 6(O) x C. lanatus] x C. palaestinus) were screened against ALS. ALS infection (%) was recorded in field and quantified using Windias Leaf Image Analysis system. Detached leaf technique was used in laboratory to confirm resistance in interspecific selections. Six resistant and 29 moderately resistant interspecific lines resembling mostly cultivated species were developed. Inheritance of ALS resistance indicated involvement of multiple minor alleles having small effects on resistance. The identified resistant lines could provide potential source of resistance to ALS for safflower breeding programmes.