Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Geneva, New York » Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU) » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #212268
Title: Field Evaluation of Apple Rootstocks for Orchard Performance and Fire Blight Resistance

Author
item RUSSO, NICOLE - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item ROBINSON, TERENCE - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Fazio, Gennaro
item ALDWINCKLE, HERBERT - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2007
Publication Date: 12/1/2007
Citation: Russo, N.L., Robinson, T.L., Fazio, G., Aldwinckle, H.S. 2007. Field Evaluation of Apple Rootstocks for Orchard Performance and Fire Blight Resistance. HortScience. 47:1517-1525.

Interpretive Summary: Several commercial and experimental apple rootstocks were field tested for resistance to the rootstock phase of fire blight a bacterial disease caused by Erwinia amylovora. Young trees grafted onto susceptible rootstocks generally die, whereas trees grafted on resistant or tolerant rootstocks are able to survive the infection. The field test included three scion cultivars (Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, and Gala). Young trees were inoculated with the bacteria during full bloom and disease incidence data was collected for all rootstock scion combinations. Generally rootstocks that were bred for resistance had a much higher survival rate than most commercially available rootstocks. Precocity and yield performance was collected during this experiment.

Technical Abstract: In 2002, apple rootstock trials using three scion cultivars were established at Geneva, NY to evaluate 64 apple (Malus X domestica) rootstocks for horticultural performance and fire blight resistance. Field trials compared several elite Geneva® apple rootstocks, which were bred for tolerance to fire blight and Phytophthora root rot, to both commercial standards and elite rootstock clones from around the world. Three rootstocks performed well on all scion cultivars, ‘B.9’, ‘Geneva® 935’, and ‘Geneva® 41’. All three rootstocks were similar in size to ‘Malling 9’ (M.9) clones, but with elevated yield efficiency and superior resistance to rootstock blight. Geneva® 11 also performed exceedingly well on ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Honeycrisp’, in regards to yield efficiency and disease resistance. Resistant rootstocks greatly enhanced the survival of young trees, particularly when susceptible scion cultivars Gala and Honeycrisp were planted. These results demonstrate the ability of new rootstock clones to perform better than current commercial standards while promoting orchard health with enhanced disease resistance.