Evaluation of pomological traits of pear decline-resistant rootstocks Jarausch Wolfgang1,*, Henkel Georg2, Schneider Bernd3,4, Seemüller Erich3 1AlPlanta, RLP AgroScience, Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany 2Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein, Ellerhoop, Germany 3Julius Kühn-Institut, Dossenheim, Germany 4Thünen-Institut für Forstgenetik, Waldsieversdorf, Germany *Corresponding author e-mail: Wolfgang Jarausch (wolfgang.jarausch@agroscience.rlp.de)
Online published on 25 July, 2019. Abstract Twenty pear rootstock genotypes were examined for their pear decline resistance and their pomological traits in a six years field trial. All rootstock selections were grafted with the susceptible cultivar Williams followed by graft-inoculation with a severe strain of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’ prior plantation. Seven years post inoculation all surviving trees were positive in PCR analyses. The concentration of the phytoplasmas was determined by quantitative PCR and ranged from 3x106 to 6x107 phytoplasma cells per gram of phloem tissue. Among the grafted rootstock genotypes clear differences in mortality, symptom expression and pomological performance were observed. Pear decline-tolerant rootstocks with promising pomological traits were selected for further evaluation. Top Keywords ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’, Pyrus, resistance screening, phytoplasma quantification. Top |