YELLOWS—RESISTANT Cabbages Developed by Plant Breeding

The yellows disease, caused by a soil fungus (Fusarium conglutinans), is a decidedly limiting factor in cabbage production throughout the central belt of States from the Atlantic seaboard to the Rocky Mountains. It was first brought under control some 12 years ago when a resistant selection of storage cabbage, Wisconsin Hollander, was first introduced into general use in southern Wisconsin. Since that time breeding and selection work has been under way with the purpose of developing yellows-resistant strains of late, medium, and early varieties, so as to meet the needs of the various seasons throughout the infested area.

Two late flathead varieties particularly useful for sauerkraut manufacture, Wisconsin All Seasons and Wisconsin Brunswick, were introduced in 1922. Three midseason varieties suitable for shipping and sauerkraut manufacture were next perfected and introduced in 1927 as Marion Market (round head), Globe (round head), and All Head Select (flat head). (Fig. 250.)

During the earlier period of this investigation, lines were improved in resistance by mass selection of individuals surviving in succeeding generations on badly infested soil. This process yielded highly resistant strains within a few years but did not completely fix the resistant character.  Later studies upon the inheritance of resistance showed it to be a simple dominant Mendelian character. This fact having been ascertained, it has become a comparatively simple procedure to secure completely resistant strains by means of pure-line selection, while at the same time greater uniformity in other varietal characters may be attained. In this manner resistant strains have recently been developed from two of the earliest maturing varieties in use, the Early Copenhagen Market or Golden Acre and Jersey Wakefield.  The new types are very close to the original varieties from which they were selected and have withstood the disease satisfactorily when planted upon infested soil in a number of States, including Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Iowa. These will be introduced for general use as soon as seed can be multiplied.

J. C. WALKER.

FIGURE 250.—Cabbage variety trials on soil severely infested with the yellows organism at Racine, Wis., 1927. The two center rows, almost completely destroyed by yellows, are Commercial Hollander and Commercial Copenhagen Market. The row at the left is the resistant variety, All Head Select, a mid-season flat-head type; the one at the right is the resistant variety, Globe, a mid-season round-head type

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