Development of a rapid and reliable bioassay to discriminate between susceptible and resistant cultivars of tomato against Fusarium wilt

A rapid and reliable detached leaf bioassay was developed to identify resistant and susceptible cultivars of tomato against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL), in ten different tomato cultivars by dip inoculation method. Among the ten cultivars used for the study, a wide variation for wilt resistance was observed. Six tomato cultivars were highly susceptible, and four were highly resistant. The bioassay significantly discriminated between susceptible and resistant cultivars. In vivo assay carried out in field as well as quantification of stress related enzymes and chlorophyll content validated the reliability and sensitivity of the bioassay.