Sensitivity of apricot cultivars and rootstocks to phytoplasma diseases

Phytoplasma diseases are a major health problem of growing and breeding of apricots.
Therefore, it is preferable to grow resistant cultivars.
In order to compare the natural infection of the apricot cultivars to the phytoplasma diseases using the PCR method.
There were 29 cultivars and 3 rootstocks It was evaluated role of cultivars and also of rootstock on natural infection of phytoplasma.
Although the lowest number of infected trees was established in cultivars ‘Taja’, ‘Selena’, ‘Darina’, ‘Skierniewicka pozna’ the differences between phytoplasma negative and phytoplasma positive trees were significant only in ‘Taja’ and ‘Skierniewicka pozna’. The highest number of phytoplasma negative trees were grafted on the cherry plum rootstock (Prunus cerasifera), apricot seedling and St.
Julien A, 52, 41 and 38 trees, respectively.
The results of the evaluation will serve as a basis for the selection of tolerant apricot cultivars for growing in the Czech Republic.
These genotypes will be also included in the breeding program.

XVII International Symposium on Apricot Breeding and Culture

P. Suran, I. Žďárská, M. Rejlová

PCR analyses, natural infection, screening, die-back, stone fruit

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2020.1290.18