On March 25^th, the scientific journal  Agriculture published an article written by Manuel Alejandro Jiménez-Vaquero, María José Cobos, Carmen María Ruiz-Pastor, and Diego Rubiales entitled “Development of Advanced Pea Breeding Lines with Improved Resistance to Ascochyta Blight”

Abstract

Ascochyta blight remains a major constraint for field pea (Pisum sativum L.) production
and a priority for breeding programmes. So far, only moderate levels of incomplete
resistance have been identified in pea germplasm and accumulated in pea cultivars by
breeding. Resistance identified so far appears to be of complex inheritance, with phenotypic
expression strongly affected by plant phenology and morphology and by environ-mental
factors. This has slowed down the development and release of resistant elite cultivars. In
this work, we describe the development of novel resistant breeding lines derived from
targeted intra- and interspecific crosses combined with cycles of selection under high
disease pressure at seedling and adult plant stages. The performance of thirteen breeding
lines selected for improved resistance and good agronomic traits was further validated
in a comparative field trial. Results confirmed the successful combination of competitive
yield and good standing ability with good levels of resistance exceeding those of the
resistant check. These advanced breeding lines are available on request for research and
breeding use.