INHERITANCE OF TOLERANCE TO THE HERBICIDE BENTAZON IN PEPPERS (CAPSICUM-ANNUUM-L)

Several inheritance experiments with bentazon herbicide-tolerant Capsicum annuum 'Bohemian Chili' P1) and susceptible 'Keystone Resistant Giant' (KRG, P2) and Sweet Banana' (SB, P2) were conducted. Populations of plants at the three- to five-leaf stage were treated with a bentazon rate of 4.5 kg.ha-1. Tolerance expression was affected by environment and varied across experiments. F2 and BCP2 generations from both susceptible parent crosses fit the expected ratios for a single, dominant gene conferring tolerance. Reciprocal F1s showed a maternal effect on tolerance intensity not consistently observed in reciprocal BCP2s or at all in reciprocal F2s. Segregation ratios of reciprocal crosses, however, were not heterogeneous, based on chi2 tests of observed ratios in seven of eight cases. Variable tolerance expression in expected homogeneous populations (P1, P2, and F1) and lower tolerance in BC3 families suggested that modifying factors affected tolerance. Analysis of genetic components of shoot height and fresh weight generation means showed significant digenic epistasis, primarily additive x dominance. Modifying genes that affect the major gene controlling tolerance in BCH are, therefore, present. The simple inheritance of bentazon tolerance, even though modifying factors were present, facilitated transfer of bentazon tolerance into KRG via backcrossing. Chemical name used: 3-(1-methylethyl)-(1H)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide (bentazon).