Resistance to Anthracnose (Colletotrichum linicola) on different cultivars of red clover (Trifolium pretense) in Serbia

In addition to alfalfa, red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.) is the most important perennial forage legume grown in our country. Red clover is rich in proteins that are important for the nutrition of livestock. Red clover, like many legumes, is parasitized by fungi of the genus Colletotrichum , causing significant economic damage in the form of reduced yields and reduced hay quality. In this study, sixteen cultivars of red clover of different geographical origin were tested for the resistance to the isolate Coll-44 ( C. linicola ). The susceptibility of different cultivars of red clover to the tested C. linicola isolates was determined using the scale of 1-5. Six cultivars (Wilo, Repio, Viglana, Kolubara, K-39 and K-17) showed high levels of resistance to the tested fungus. The aim of this experiment is to select red clover cultivars that show increased tolerance to anthracnose causative agents, in this case C. linicola .