This is the first report of B. cinerea field isolates with resistance to both boscalid and pyraclostrobin, and it strongly suggests that there may be a major problem in controlling this important pathogen on kiwifruit.

Contrary to other genetic disorders, the genetic study of sex determination anomalies in humans stumbles over the difficulty in observing large pedigrees. In goats, abnormalities in sex determination are intimately linked to a dominant Mendelian gene coding for the "polled" (hornless) character, which could render this species an interesting animal model for the rare human cases of SRY-negative XX males. In this report, we describe genetic linkage between the polled/intersex synchome (PIS) and four microsatellite markers of the distal region of goat Chromosome 1 (CHI1), quite distinct from the bovine "polled" region. According to comparative mapping data, no sex-determining gene has been described so far in homologous regions in the human. This genetic localization constitutes a first step towards identifying a new autosomal sex-determining gene in mammals.

In this work, the part of the squash core collection, maintained in the Greek

Breeders ought to consider the confounding effects of the environment and genotype × environment (G × E) interaction on response to early generation selection. To meet this requirement, honeycomb breeding was performed at a low density within two dry bean populations (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under typical open‐field conditions and in an adjacent greenhouse. Nineteen progeny lines were formed through selection of nine and ten of the highest‐yielding plants in the greenhouse and the field, respectively. Honeycomb progeny testing at the low density in the two distinct environments showed up to 75% improvement in plant‐yield potential. Under farming‐density conditions in five environments, six of the lines outyielded the respective original population by 12 to 38% and exhibited the greatest stability according to the genotype and genotype × environment (GGE) biplot model. At low density, the greenhouse evaluation demonstrated less acquired variance than the field evaluation and was especially useful for selection and progeny evaluation. Three of the six outstanding lines originated from the greenhouse. Honeycomb progeny estimation on a single‐plant yield basis in the greenhouse, rather than in the field, gave a better prediction of yield potential on an area basis. The results showed that honeycomb breeding performed in two environments to address the G × E interaction may be successful for developing varieties that exhibit both high and stable productivity.

Thirty-five Colletotrichum lindemuthianum isolates were obtained from bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) fields in 23 prefectures of Greece during a survey conducted in 2003 and 2004. Race characterization based on the standardized set of 12 differential cultivars demonstrated the presence of races 2, 6, and 22, which are reported for first time in Greece, while race 22 is reported for the first time in the world. In addition, pathotype diversity showed significant correlation with the geographical origin of these isolates. All three races caused disease symptoms only on cultivars of Andean origin, suggesting that Greek isolates originated from South American countries. Virulence spectrum of the same isolates was also examined on a set of 30 Greek bean cultivars showing seven types of virulence. Based on their reactions to the pathogen isolates, Greek cultivars were divided into nine groups. Among these cultivars, two (Ithomi FS60 and Larisa) were resistant to all tested isolates, including the reference isolates. Molecular diversity was detected using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers and the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers, which revealed two main clusters of isolates. Thirty-two out of 35 isolates belonged to the same main cluster in both methods, indicating that Greek isolates have genotypic similarities. This study provides the information on population diversity of C. lindemuthianum, which can be useful in agricultural practices and in plant breeding programs.