Possibilities of using Nicotiana species in breeding for virus resistance

Abstract

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an important industrialcrop. Among the diseases causing losses in tobacco cultivation,viral ones are of particular importance due to the verylow effectiveness of chemical protection allowing only for vectorcontrol. The greatest threat to tobacco cultivation in Polandand in many countries of the world is posed by potato virus Y(PVY), tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and, in recent years,the increasingly frequent tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The geneticresources studies carried out in the genus Nicotiana haveshown a wide variation in species resistance, assessed biologically,serologically and molecularly, depending on the virus usedand, in the case of PVY, also on the specific isolate. The results ofthe assessment of resistance in Nicotiana accessions presented inthis paper, gathered from literature data as well as from our ownresearch, allow us to broaden and systematise our knowledge onthe sources of resistance to viral diseases. This is the only such anextensive study in this field. It provides an excellent informationbase for the appropriate selection of accessions for use in resistancebreeding.