Abstract The white mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is one of the most important diseases of soybean. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the soybean reaction to the fungus S. sclerotiorum, which causes white mold, in a partial diallel with 50 crosses. The Group I of parents was composed of ten experimental lines with high grain yield and the group II consisted in five genotypes with possible resistance to white mold. Ten plants of each cross in the F4 generation and the parents were evaluated for reaction to fungus infection using the method of inoculation in detached leaves in order to assess the severity of the disease and to later estimate the combining abilities. Estimates of the specific combining ability (SCA) was a significant reaction to S. sclerotiorum, indicating that there is variability for fungus resistance due to non-additive genes action.

Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the combining ability of 16 soybean genotypes using a partial diallel. Two experiments were carried out to estimate the general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining ability, one with 64 crosses and the other with 16 parents. At the R8 stage, F2 plants and the parents were evaluated for the following traits: number of days to flowering (NDF), number of days to maturity (NDM), plant height at maturity (PHM), and grain yield (GY). Results indicated genetic variability between the parents and between the crosses. For GY, six (37.5%) parents stood out with high yield. The GCA and SCA estimates were significant for all traits, revealing additive and non-additive effects. The parent USP 04-17.027 (4) was superior for presenting the highest means, heritability, and GCA. The cross (4x13 = USP 04-17.027 x USP 231-2224-12) stood out owing to the highest SCA for GY.

RESUMO: A ferrugem asiática da soja é a doença que mais tem preocupado os produtores e pesquisadores desde sua primeira evidência. Ela é causada pelo fungo biotrófico Phakopsora pachyrhizi Sydow & P. Sydow que encontrou condições extremamente favoráveis para a sua disseminação no Brasil. O sintoma mais característico apresenta-se nas folhas, inicialmente na face adaxial, como pequenos pontos angulares com menos de um milímetro de diâmetro, juntamente com os uredósporos (esporos) de coloração acinzentada. O manejo se dá por meio de um conjunto de práticas que garanta a boa convivência entre a planta e o patógeno e sem que ocorra danos significativos à lavoura. O trabalho objetivou avaliar a tolerância à ferrugem asiática estimando as perdas causadas pela infestação natural a campo. Os experimentos com a geração F4 (2014/15) foram delineados em blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Foram realizadas categorias de experimentos, envolvendo dois tipos de genótipos (cruzamentos e genitores) e dois tipos de manejos de doenças com fungicidas. Para a análise dos dados foi aplicado um teste, para duas amostras dependentes, a fim de verificar a significância da estimativa do efeito ferrugem. Considerando a produtividade e a tolerância, os cruzamentos mais importantes foram 104 (USP 14-01-20 x EMGOPA 313) e 149 (USP 93-05.552 x EMGOPA 313). Os cruzamentos 147 (USP 93-05.552 x PI 153.282) e 137 (USP 70.108 x PI 153.282) foram tolerantes tanto na avaliação de redução da produtividade e do tamanho de semente. Houveram evidências de tolerância à ferrugem asiática nos cruzamentos e nos genitores. O teste estatístico revelou a significância das estimativas de efeito ferrugem em soja.

ABSTRACT: Asian soybean rust is an important disease that has deeply troubled farmers and researchers since it was first reported. The causal agent, biotrophic fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi Sydow & P. Sydow, has found extremely favorable conditions for its dissemination in Brazil. The most characteristic symptom of infection appears in the leaves, initially on the adaxial leaf surface, as small angular points less than 1mm in diameter, together with gray-colored uredospores (spores). Management involves a set of practices that guarantee coexistence between the plant and the pathogen without significant damage to the crop. The objective of this research was to evaluate tolerance to Asian rust by estimating losses caused by natural infection in the field. Experiments with generation F4 (2014/15) plants were established in a randomized blocks design with four replicates, with two types of genotypes (crosses and parents) and two schemes for disease management using fungicides. For analysis of the data, a test was applied on two dependent samples to verify the significance of the estimate of the rust effect. With regard to grain yield and tolerance, the most outstanding crosses were 104 (USP14-01-20 × EMGOPA313) and 149 (USP93-05.552 × EMGOPA313). Crosses 147 (USP93-05552 × PI153.282) and 137 (USP70.108 × PI153.282) were graded as tolerant in the evaluation of both yield reduction and seed size. We found evidence of tolerance to Asian rust in both crosses and parents. The statistical test revealed the significance of the rust effect estimates in soybean.