PROMISING CHESTNUT GENOTYPES FROM SLOVENIA

Large phenotypic, as well as genotypic diversity is a characteristic of domestic chestnuts grown in Slovenia.
Those seedling trees are spread in numerous populations over a total surface area of 253,000 ha.
They vary in nut quality, as well as in productivity, tree characteristics, health status, and climatic adaptability.
Such material provides a good opportunity for genetic improvement.
During research conducted from the 1990’s, we have studied 336 genotypes, in detail.
Over three successive years, each tree was included in a pomological analysis of its nuts.
The absence of chestnut blight, and tree vigour were also recorded.
Ten quality genotypes were chosen during the period 1999 – 2008. ‘Kozjak-1’ originating in the Štajerska region, ‘MP-23’, ‘Avbar’, and ‘Martin’, grown in the Dolenjska region, ‘Suhor(A)06’, ‘S-15/b’, and ‘S-248’ are from Bela Krajina, while ‘Loza’, ‘L-voda’, and ‘L-Frelih’ originating in Vipavska dolina.
Not one type had more than
90 nuts/kg. ‘Kozjak-1’ and ‘L-voda’ had the heaviest and the largest nuts with
61 and 65,3 nuts/kg, respectively. ‘MP-23’, ‘Martin’, ‘L-voda’ and ‘L-Frelih’ had transversally-broad elliptical shape, typical for marrons, whereas ‘Avbar’, ‘Loza’, and ‘Suhor-15/b’ were slightly globose.
The weakest pellicle penetration into the embryo was observed for ‘L-Frelih’. Eight preselected genotypes out of 12, had monoembryonic fruits, and in nine genotypes, dark vertical stripes were clearly visible on the pericarp. ‘Avbar’ had the most attractive fruits, which were large, and reddish-black, with wide and long hilum.

I European Congress on Chestnut – Castanea 2009

A. Solar, F. Štampar

Castanea sativa Mill., phenotypic and genotypic diversity, populations, selection

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.866.31