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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Geneva, New York » Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU) » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #177927
Title: SEVEN EXPEDITIONS TO COLLECT WILD APPLE GERMPLASM IN CENTRAL ASIA, CHINA, RUSSIA AND TURKEY

Author
item Forsline, Philip
item ALDWINCKLE, HERBERT - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2004
Publication Date: 7/1/2004
Citation: Forsline, P.L., Aldwinckle, H.S., 2004. Seven expeditions to collect wild apple germplasm in central asia, china, russia and turkey.. Hortscience. 39:743.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Seven expeditions to collect wild apple germplasm were completed between 1989 and 1999. The apple collection at PGRU now contains 3932 accessions after the addition of 1140 accessions collected from these seven trips. Four of the trips were made to Central Asia (principally Kazakhstan) where we collected 949 (897 seed lots/130,000 seeds and 52 elite clones) accessions of Malus sieversii. This gene pool is very important since Malus sieversii is the main progenitor of the commercial apple. A summary of these collections is presented in Horticultural Reviews; Vol . 29, which includes translated books by our host in Kazakhstan who controlled all of the activities of our collections in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The other three trips were to: 1) Sichuan China to collect seeds of seven wild Malus spp. (101 accessions/7200 seeds); 2)Russian Caucasus to collect Malus orientalis (28 accessions/6500 seeds); and 3) Turkey to collect additional Malus orientalis (62 accessions/30,632 seeds). These additional collections had some challenges in dealing with local government officials and establishing MTAs. We are very pleased with the progress that has been made in evaluating the material for disease resistance and horticultural traits as a result of the collaborative nature of the extensive evaluations. Presently, we have more than 3000 seedlings at PGRU that are growing in field plots from over 300 of the populations collected. These collections are now being offered to breeders in order to develop diverse and useful hybrids for fruit, ornamental and rootstock value.