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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Kearneysville, West Virginia » Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory » Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #313215

Title: Developing disease resistant stone fruits

Author
item Scorza, Ralph

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/30/2014
Publication Date: 12/3/2014
Citation: Scorza, R. 2014. Developing disease resistant stone fruits. Proceedings of the XXIII Congresso SOCHIFIT UTalca 2014. p. 20.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Stone fruit (Prunus spp.) (peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, cherry) and almonds are susceptible to a number of pathogens. These pathogens can cause extensive losses in the field, during transport and storage, and in the market. Breeding for disease resistance requires an extensive knowledge of the pathogen, the pathogen-host interactions, the availability of resistant gene sources, and technologies for the incorporation of resistance into new varieties that are acceptable to growers and consumers. A number of approaches to developing disease resistant stone fruits are available including both conventional and biotech approaches and combinations of multiple approaches. The development of Plum pox virus (PPV) resistant stone fruits presents an example for the development of disease resistance utilizing multiple approaches. First identified in Europe in the early 20th century, PPV has rapidly spread world-wide since the late 1980s, due to the globalization of trade and travel. PPV is now present in most stone fruit growing countries. It is estimated that PPV has caused over $13 billion in losses over the last 30 years in Europe alone. The development of PPV resistant stone fruit varieties has been approached through conventional breeding, marker assisted selection, genetic engineering and combined approaches. These approaches will be discussed in terms of their efficiency, effectiveness and their advantages and disadvantages for developing PPV resistant stone varieties with high level durable resistance. PPV resistance breeding serves as a model for resistance breeding in general, demonstrating the wide range of approaches that may be utilized in developing resistant varieties, the resources that may be exploited, and the information that is required to develop resistant varieties in the most efficient and effective manner.