Additional sources of resistance to groundnut rosette disease in groundnut germplasm and breeding lines

Groundnut rosette, a virus disease of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) transmitted by the aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, reduces yield in susceptible cultivars by 30–100%. Additional sources were sought in germplasm accessions involving 2301 lines from different sources and from 252 advanced breeding lines derived from crosses involving earlier identified sources of resistance to rosette. The lines were evaluated in field screening trials using an infector row technique during 1996 and 1997 growing seasons. Among the germplasm lines, 65 accessions showed high levels of resistance while 134 breeding lines were resistant. All rosette disease resistant lines were susceptible to groundnut rosette assistor virus. This work identified germplasm and breeding lines that will contribute to an integrated management of groundnut rosette disease. These new sources also provide an opportunity to eliminate yield losses due to the rosette disease.