New Products against Apple Scab and Powdery Mildew Attack in Organic Apple Production

Interspecific hybridizations represent one of the apple breeding methods by which a wide variability can be achieved, useful for creating new cultivars. The study of 2190 interspecific hybrids, obtained from 25 combinations among crab apple species (Malus coronaria, M. floribunda, M. niedzwetzkyana, M. zumi, M. prunifolia) and different apple cultivars, points out a large variability of the F1 seedlings for several traits, with significant importance in apple breeding programs. The first year of fructification, as mean per hybrid combination, varied from 6 (M. zumi x ‘Jonathan’) to 9.3 years; the average hybrid’s age for fructification was 7.4 years. The size of fruits among families varied from 1.5 (‘Starkrimson’ x M. prunifolia) to 4.0 (‘Reinette Baumann’ x M. zumi), the mean being settled at 2.8 (therefore below mark 3, meaning ‘small fruits’). The lowest infection rate both for apple scab and powdery mildew attack was noticed at hybrids from M. coronaria x ‘Reinette Baumann’. On the whole, the hybrids with genitors of ‘species x cultivars’ type have had an early fruiting and a better resistance to scab and powdery mildew, compared to the ones from ‘cultivars x species’ combinations. The large variability of the studied traits gave the possibility to identify offsprings with desirable characteristics on nine hybrid combinations. Among these, 53 elite plants were selected, with a strength of selection of 2.42%, therefore a relative low value, correlated with the peculiarities of the interspecific population and the selection criteria for dessert apple

Evaluation of Old Apple Cultivars Grown in Central Transylvania, Romania

In Romania, in this rather long period of transition, there are still many fruit tree orchards with old (classical) varieties which do not entirely meet the nowadays market and consumers criteria. Since these orchards cannot be replaced overnight, in this study it have observed the main yielding and quality characteristics of several well known apple varieties grown in Central Transylvania (Romania), in order to preserve the germplasm and evaluate the possibility to grow some of the best ones for particular or spot markets. According to data registered in this orchard, Jonathan had the most vigorous growth, expressed by the crown and trunk diameters, while Starkrimson had the weakest vigour. The largest fruits were found in Golden Delicious (186.5 g) and the smallest fruits in Jonathan (117 g) and Wagener (119 g). The highest fruit yield was harvested in Wagener (60.0 kg/tree), while the other classical varieties (Jonathan, Kaltherer Bmer, Starkrimson) yielded significantly less than the mean of experiment. The yield index (fruit yield/trunk section area) was comprised between 0.251 kg/cm2 in Wagener and 0.099 kg/cm2 in Jonathan. Fruit quality was very good in Kaltherer Bmer and Jonathan, good in Golden Delicious and accepTab. in the other two tested varieties. It can be concluded that valuable growing, yielding and fruit quality characteristics can be found in these old apple varieties which make them attractive both as germplasm sources and as commercial varieties for particular and spot markets