Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXIV, Issue 2
Written by Diyana ALEKSANDROVA, Artur MIKICIŃSKI
Pear production in Bulgaria was limited because of the occurrence of fire blight. There is no certain chemical control of this disease. In terms of integrated management of bacterial diseases, it is very important to grow resistant cultivars. The aim of this study was to examine the reaction of 15 pear cultivars grown in Bulgaria. Terminal shoots of these cultivars grown in a greenhouse and grafted on quince BA29 rootstock were inoculated with two Erwinia amylovora isolates. The bacteria were isolated from apple and pear orchards in various regions of Bulgaria. After artificial inoculation degree of severity of diseases on the leaves and terminal shoots were recorded. For all tested cultivars the degree of infection on the leaves varied from 11.0% for 'Alexander Lucas’ to 82.3% for 'Packham's Triumph’. Twenty- five days after the inoculation the tested cultivars were distributed in five susceptibility classes by their degree of severity of diseases on terminal shoots. 'Beurré Bosc’ was considered as susceptible with 61.1% necrosis on terminal shoots, 'Dr. Jules Guyot’ was considered as very low susceptible with 18.4% terminal shoots showing symptoms. Six of the tested cultivars were low susceptible with recorded degree of infection 20-40%. The very low susceptible and low susceptible cultivars could be recommended for commercial pear orchards establishment.
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