Rye as an outcrossing crop is highly susceptible to ergot infection caused by Claviceps purpurea. It is ecologically the best solution to avoid the infection already in the field by growing resistant varieties. Aim of our study is the analysis of inheritance of self-fertile rye material for ergot resistance and alcaloid content. Sixty CMS inbred lines and their 90 CMS crosses were tested in pollen-isolated fields in three environ-ments under the conditions of Ecological Farming by artificial inoculation. The sclerotia weight per head was evaluated as resistance trait. Both, CMS lines and testcrosses showed significant genotypic differences at the individual environments. Correlation between both groups was significant (r=0,6-0,7; P=0,01). The alcaloid contents and the alcaloid spectra of 25 CMS lines revealed no genotypic difference. Breeding of self-fertile rye for a higher resistance to ergot should be successful on the long run
