Selection for Fusarium root rot resistance in red clover

Intercrossing red clover plants, selected for reaction to Fusarium root rot (F. avenaceum), produced progenies with lower root rot scores than the parental cultivar Hermes II. Eleven percent of the progenies had less than 2 mm root rot after two cycles of selection, compared to less than 1% in the parental cultivar. Root rot severity in two old local strains of red clover, as well as in two populations of wild red clover, was lower than in cv. Hermes II. This could indicate that a natural selection for root rot resistance can occur in red clover.