Evaluation of Lettuce Cultivar Susceptibility to Powdery Mildew in 2003

Abstract

Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Golovinomyces cichoracearum (formerly known as Erysiphe cichoracearum), can cause economic losses in lettuce fields harvested in March and April, the last months of the production season in western Arizona. A field study was conducted to evaluate 14 different cultivars of lettuce for potential resistance to this disease. Cultivars Two Star and Big Green COS were very resistant to powdery mildew. All other tested cultivars would have required application of fungicides to reduce the amount of powdery mildew to acceptable levels. On the other hand, planting lettuce cultivars with some disease tolerance may require less fungicide inputs to achieve acceptable disease control compared to planting very susceptible cultivars. Among tested cultivars, Slugger was most susceptible to powdery mildew.