EXPERIMENTAL SCREENING OF AN APRICOT CROSS FOR RESISTANCE TO PLUM POX VIRUS (M AND D STRAINS)

F. Palmisano, A. Bazzoni, D. Tavano, A. Didonna, M. Castellano , V. Savino

This work presents the results of an evaluation trial of the apricot cross ‘Harcot’ × ‘Reale d’Imola’ for resistance to Plum pox virus (M and D strains). An improved protocol developed at the Department of Plant Protection and Applied Microbiology of the University of Bari was applied. The sequential steps of the protocol are: 1) bud grafting onto myrobalan and Prunus persica GF305; 2) chip-bud inoculation onto the rootstocks with known isolates of PPV-M and PPV-D; 3) visual inspections on rootstock and apricot for leaf symptoms expression; 4) testing by ELISA and RT-PCR. The protocols provide for the observation of the seedlings until the fruiting stage.

The results of four vegetative cycles after the inoculation demonstrate that: a) most of the seedlings (42%) of the cross ‘Harcot’ × ‘Reale d’Imola’ showed symptoms and were ELISA-positive from the first vegetative cycle after inoculation, and only a few seedlings were asymptomatic and ELISA negative. However, during the second and third vegetative cycles, a greater number of seedlings infected with PPV-D strain were asymptomatic and ELISA-negative (25.64%); b) PPV-M isolate induced more severe reactions in the plants; c) the opportunity to confirm the results already obtained by using molecular test; d) the results about the parents confirmed what referred in the literature: ‘Harcot’ was resistant also to PPV-M strain, while ‘Reale d’Imola’ was susceptible to both PPV strains; e) the myrobalan revealed to be an effective indicator, showing symptoms since the first visual inspections at two-three weeks after sprouting.
F. Palmisano, , A. Bazzoni, , D. Tavano, , A. Didonna, , M. Castellano , and V. Savino, (2010). EXPERIMENTAL SCREENING OF AN APRICOT CROSS FOR RESISTANCE TO PLUM POX VIRUS (M AND D STRAINS). Acta Hortic. 862, 501-506
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.862.79
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.862.79
sharka, Prunus spp., susceptibility
English

Acta Horticulturae