Evaluation of Brassica species for resistance to Plasmodiophora brassicae causing club root of rapeseed mustard

Club root disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae Woronin is a predominant disease of Bras-sica oleracea var. capitata (cabbage) in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal (7,3) and in Nilgiri Hills of Tamilnadu (9). Brassica oleracea var gongylodes (knol-khol) was also identified as a host of club root disease in the Nilgiri area (8). The disease has been reported in rapeseed-mustard on the variety YSB-9 (B. campestris var yellow sarson cv Benoy) from West Bengal (6) and in B. campestris var toria from Orissa (4). The disease is now well established in large rapeseed-mustard grow-ing areas of West Bengal and losses in yield due to the disease is quite high (2). Exploitation of the resistant gene of the disease resistant genotype is an approach to control the dis