Abstract

Pome fruit genetic resources collections constitute a highly valuable resource not only for fruit breeding but also for direct use by nurseries, growers, and home gardeners. In order to use these resources efficiently and sustainably, reliable evaluation data on fruit and tree characteristics must be generated. Here we focus on pome fruit genetic resources evaluated phenotypically and genotypically for susceptibility to apple scab (Venturiainaequalis), powdery mildew (Podosphaeraleucotricha), fire blight (Erwiniaamylovora), pear rust (Gymnosporangiumsabinae) and storage diseases (e.g.,Penicilliumexpansum). Examples are presented of several ongoing projects throughout Europe, with the aim to evaluate fruit genetic resources for disease susceptibility and potential use in breeding and for commercial use. The COST action 864 has fostered international cooperation in the evaluation of pome fruit genetic resources, and some of these evaluations therefore involve research groups from several of the participating countries.

Keywords

Apple; Biodiversity; Disease resistance; Fire blight; Fruit genetic resources; Pear

Published in

Trees - Structure and Function
2012, Volume: 26, number: 1, pages: 179-189
Publisher: Springer

SLU Authors

• Nybom, Hilde

  • Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Ahmadi Afzadi, Masoud

  • Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Horticulture
Food Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-011-0660-9

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/36377