Introducing the apple hybrid rootstock genotypes with an appropriate range of tolerance to fire blight disease

Document Type : Extension

Authors

1 Assistant professor, Temperate Fruits Research Center, Horticultural sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension, Karaj, Iran.

2 Associate Professor. Temperate Fruits Research Center, Horticultural sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension, Karaj, Iran.

3 Researcher, Temperate Fruits Research Center, Horticultural sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension, Karaj, Iran.

10.22092/rafhc.2025.366557.1346

Abstract

In this research, the levels of tolerance to fire blight as one of the rootstock selection indicators were investigated in ten promising apple rootstock genotypes obtained from the apple rootstock breeding program in Iran, with M9 and MM106 rootstocks as controls. for uniformity, rootstocks were propagated through cutting and their potted seedlings were inoculated in the spring of 2021 and 2022 using the branch inoculation method using a mixture of three strains of active bacteria as an inoculation medium under greenhouse conditions. Five weeks after injection, blight intensity was determined based on the ratio of the length of the dead tissue to the length of the inoculated branch (100×). Results showed that the MM106 and M9 were sensitive, the genotypes of M9OP387, AZ×M2785, B9op87 and AZ×M9185 are semi-sensitive and AZop285, Azop385, AZ×M9285, AZop286, AZop386 and Azop486 were diagnosed as semi-tolerant genotypes. AZop286, AZop386 and Azop486, with suitable vegetative reproduction by wood cutting (more than 70% rooting ability) and relative tolerance to fire blight disease, are recommended for cultivation in areas infected to fire blight disease.

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