![]() to establish a collection of 60 european varieties in order to know their susceptibility in our conditions.įirst results of these two actions are presented hereafter.The disease is caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora. to test hybrids in an experimental orchard near Dax, Fire blight is the most important bacterial dis- ease for apple and pear growers in Utah.Certain varieties, like Aristocrat, are more susceptible than Bradford, one of. The out-break of fire blight in 1978 in the pear growing area of the South West of France, where climatic conditions are usually favourable to the disease, Leconte et al. Most ornamental pears are resistant, but they are not immune to fire blight. These reasons made clear for us the need to begin in France our own breeding program in order to select new varieties with these two main characteristics : Growers in these countries did not grow any of these new varieties.The range of picking dates aimed at by these researchers is about the picking date of 'Williams' and the selected flavour is the one of 'Williams',.The use of minor resistances in Pyrus communis could lead to less susceptible varieties with a good fruit quality if these low levels of resistance are accumulated through successives generations,.In 1974 close contacts were established with North american and canadian researchers and the following conclusions were drawn out : The poor quality of the fruits of the selected varieties prevented them from being cultivated in commercial orchards.īefore 1974 most of these varieties and some hybrids not yet named have been introduced in the collection of the INRA Research station of Angers. Pyrus communis is susceptible, and fire blight is the most serious disease affecting fruiting pears in most production regions of the northern hemisphere (13). DISEASES Fire Blight is a common bacterial disease of rosaceous plants caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora. The resistant parents were firstly choosen in oriental species : Pyrus pyrifolia, Pyrus ussuriensis or in hybrids between Pyrus communis and these species. This review includes information on edible and ornamental pears. The research for a fire blight resistant variety of pear has been undertaken in the United States since some sixty years. ISHS Acta Horticulturae 161: Symposium on Production and Preservation of Pears PEAR BREEDING AND SELECTION FOR FIRE BLIGHT RESISTANCE Together, they want to investigate genetic resources in pear and Pyrus wild species to determine whether they carry resistance, which genes are involved in disease defense, and how these are inherited so that they can be used for variety breeding.PEAR BREEDING AND SELECTION FOR FIRE BLIGHT RESISTANCE "While resistance mechanisms to the fire blight bacterium are being intensively researched in various breeding programs for apple, international efforts are very limited for pear," the researcher, who initiated the new project, explains.įor FeuResBir, suitable German partners from Bavaria and Lake Constance with pear collections have been brought on board, but research partners from Spain and New Zealand are also involved. Andreas Peil, who works as a breeder at the JKI in Dresden-Pillnitz. "Since the disease cannot be controlled with plant protection products, or only very inadequately, growers are placing great hope in new varieties," says Dr. Currently, regular inspections of pear plants and neighboring host plants, as well as removal or radical pruning of infested trees, are the only ways to keep the pathogen in check. That’s good news, following growers’ efforts to reduce use of streptomycin. An ongoing WSU survey found no antibiotic-resistant strains in the state in 2022, said pathologist Frank Zhao. The FeuResBir research project aims to do important preliminary work here, so that the breeding of resistant pear varieties receives new impetus.įire blight is the most important disease in pear production, and the bacterial pathogen is considered a so-called regulated non-quarantine pest (RNQP) in the EU. The demand for antibiotic alternatives for fire blight control grew out of both streptomycin resistance and Washington’s organic production boom. Alexander Lucas, Conference, Williams Christ, the Beautiful from Charneux or Clapp's Favorite, all these most widely cultivated pear varieties have no resistance to the Erwinia amylovora bacterium. The varieties that dominate the market have an Achilles' heel: They are highly susceptible to the disease known as fire blight. In Germany, the demand for pears, regardless of whether they are produced conventionally or organically, cannot currently be met through domestic production.
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