Inheritance Pattern for Secreting and Nonsecreting Glandular Trichomes in Tobacco1

Crosses were made between Tobacco Introduction 1406 (‘Virgin A Mutant’), a Nicotiana tabacum L. breeding line susceptible to the tobacco flea beetle, Epitrix hirtipennis (Melsheimer), and three tobacco flea beetle tolerant burley tobacco cultivars. The parents, F1, F2, and BC1 generations were evaluated for secreting or nonsecreting glandular trichomes to determine the inheritance of secretory activity. Tobacco Introduction 1406 did not possess secreting trichomes. Secreting trichomes were present on the three burley cultivars. Segregation patterns revealed that presence or absence of secreting trichomes was controlled by alleles at a single locus. Secreting trichomes were produced on leaves of the homozygous and heterozygous plants while nonsecreting trichomes were present on leaves of the homozygous recessive genotype. The locus was designated as the Te locus. Quantitative determination of exudate amounts in secreting plants were not made although visual differences in exudate levels were noted.