Evidence of Heritable Resistance to Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi and Pythium ultimum in Peas1

Ninety pea (Pisum sativum L.) populations were produced by crossing, in all possible combinations, five lines reported to be resistant to pea root and five commercial lines. Results from pathological tests conducted in soil artificially infested with F. solani (Mart.) Appel & Wr. sp. pisi (F. R. Jones) Snyd & Hans or P. ultimum Trow. did not agree with test results from soil naturally inrested with these pathogens and indicated that other pathogens or factors may be important in field soil. General combining ability effects were important in naturally and artifically infested soil, indicating a fixable amount of genetic variance for resistance to these pathogens. A highly significant correlation (r = .60, df = 53) between disease indices in soil artificially infested with F. solani and P. ultimum indicated that resistance to the two pathogens may be conditioned by the same factors.