Fire Blight-Resistant Apple Rootstocks

Fire Blight-Resistant Apple Rootstocks Terence Robinson, Gennaro Fazio, Herb Aldwinckle Dept. of Horticulture, Cornell University Geneva, New York, 14456 USDA-ARS, Plant Genetics Resources Unit, Geneva, NY 14456

Fire Blight Infection of Rootstocks is a Major Problem in the USA Infection of susceptible rootstocks results in the death of the tree Infection

Fire Blight Limits Planting of New Varieties The high susceptibility of new varieties such as Pink Lady and Jazz make it difficult to plant new orchards on M.9 rootstock. With a fire blight-resistant rootstock, when the tree is infected the tree survives and the infected branches can be quickly re-grown.

The Geneva Apple Rootstock Breeding and Development Program Cornell University Program 1968-2008 Dr. James Cummins and Herb Aldwinckle Joint Program with USDA and Cornell University (1998-present) Dr. Gennaro Fazio, Herb Aldwinckle and Terence Robinson Goal: Produce a series of rootstocks which are resistant to important rootstock diseases and insects that are dwarfing, productive and efficient. Resistance to fire blight Resistance to Phytopthora root rot Resistance to woolly apple aphid Cold tolerant Resistant to apple replant disease.

Geneva Apple Rootstock Breeding Team: Gennaro Fazio James Cummins Terence Robinson Herb Aldwinckle

Breeding New Apple Rootstocks Crosses are made with bees Seed is harvested (5,000 per year) Seedlings are inoculated with Phytophthora and Fire blight (95% are killed) Rootstocks are budded and tested in the field

Rootstock Evaluations at Geneva: In the greenhouse Fire blight Phytophthora Wooly apple aphid In the nursery Spines Rooting In the orchard Survival Tree size Yield efficiency Fruit size Suckering Tolerance to fire blight Tolerance to replant disease Graft union strength

III DNA Fingerprinting: The Geneva rootstocks are a distinct genetic group from most commercial rootstocks M.9 or Malling Cluster 0.81 0.14-0.52-1.19 R.5-1.86-1.11-1.03 II -0.59-0.06-0.59 0.47 MM.111 MM.106 PiAu5683 M.13 M.7 P.14 P.18 PiAu5111 J-TE-C V.1 M.27 G.65 M.11 M.3 M.10 M? J.9 Pi80 G.41 M.9T337 B.118 PiAu514 M.26 M.25 V.7 M.8 J-TE-G M.20 V.2 G.202 B.9 G.11 O.3 P.1 G.30 JM.10 B.491 G3007 G.935 G5179-0.15 1.00 Novole 0.29 M.2 G.16 NAGA Maruba Alnarp M.4 G3007 G.935 O.3 G5179 G.202 G.30 G.11 B.9 M.8 M.20 J.9 JM.10 J-TE-G Pi80 M.9 M.9T337 V.2 M? P.1 P.14 G.16 V.1 G.41 M.27 G.65 M.10 M.13 M.26 Alnarp PiAu514 M.1 M.2 M.4 M.11 M.3 PiAu5683 M.7 PiAu5111 P.18 R.5 V.7 J-TE-C M.25 MM.106 MM.111 B.491 B.118 Maruba NAGA Novole PiAu5111MW 0.00 0.21 0.42 0.63 0.83 Coefficient II Commercial Apple Rootstocks 0.72 Represent a Very Restricted Gene Pool

Ottawa 3 X Robusta 5 Pseudotestcross Map E36M50_143 0.0 CH05g08 9.4 E36M62_129 14.1 Hi07d08 16.3 Hi12c02 40.8 KA4B 47.8 E36M50_106 65.1 E35M47_351 71.7 E35M50_132 77.7 Hi05c06_3 81.1 Hi02c07 81.4 E38M48_435 84.8 Hi02b10 86.4 Hi05c06_2 88.1 LG01 CN493139 0.0 CH02c02a_3 8.1 Hi02a07 10.1 CH02c02a_2 11.1 CH02c02a_4 12.7 E35M48_124 16.2 E41M50_103 26.1 NZ03c01x_2 27.3 E40M60_132 32.7 E38M48_71 34.7 E40M60_131 37.7 E40M62_128 38.9 E36M62_111 42.2 Hi05c06_5 43.6 E40M50_62 43.7 E38M47_136 46.1 CH02c06 47.1 CH03d10 CH02a04z 49.3 E35M47_252 50.7 E38M50_192 AE01_980 52.1 CH05e03 52.7 MalRoot1512_240 53.7 E35M47_483 55.2 CH03d01 57.4 E40M60_205 60.9 E36M62_202 62.6 E35M48_156 67.6 E36M47_85 68.9 LG02 E38M47_110 0.0 E35M50_220 4.1 CH03e03 8.4 E35M50_213 14.5 E35M47_255 17.9 CH03g07 22.0 E38M49_271 24.5 E38M59_359 28.4 E35M47_488 28.8 E38M49_253 30.9 E33M47_252 35.7 E38M50_202 36.1 E40M50_102 36.7 E36M62_150 39.3 E36M47_105 43.2 E38M47_421 43.3 E35M48_97 49.4 Hi04c10x_1 52.0 E38M49_178 57.2 E38M50_450 58.8 E37M48_116 64.3 E35M48_375 65.4 E40M60_220 67.8 AU223657 68.8 Hi04c10x_3 71.5 MalRoot439_410 76.1 E37M62_104 79.0 E36M50_196 79.2 Hi07e08x 83.1 E37M48_97 89.4 E37M47_174 94.5 HGA8bY 98.2 LG03 E40M62_163 0.0 E36M62_163 9.5 CH04e02 14.3 E36M62_161 17.8 AC17_600 26.6 GD154_4 27.5 E40M62_162 30.0 E40M47_108 34.0 E41M48_214 35.3 E38M50_360 36.0 GD162 40.6 Malus_2604 41.6 CH05d02 42.1 E38M48_163 44.6 E33M48_153 45.4 GD6_2 45.9 E40M48_84 47.9 Hi04c10x_4 51.1 E37M49_416 55.5 E36M50_190 59.2 Hi07b02_5 61.4 E37M48_319 65.3 E37M47_80 70.0 E38M47_240 70.1 E36M50_74 73.6 D11_850 83.9 E37M47_280 89.5 C02-950 97.5 CH02c06b 103.3 E41M50_56 113.0 LG04 E36M47_120 0.0 MalRoot4870_1_360 12.7 E38M50_213 18.7 Malus_4760 21.2 E37M47_271 29.1 CH03a09 34.6 GD154_3 39.4 CH05e06 47.5 CH04g09y 52.5 Hi21c08 53.9 P15_430 58.9 A09-960 62.2 E40M50_61 62.4 E38M50_149 67.8 E37M47_276 69.6 E38M50_271 71.1 Hi04d02 73.6 E37M62_214 76.5 GD136 77.4 E37M62_206 79.1 Hi11a03 80.7 E40M60_179 81.9 CH03a04 83.9 E38M48_253 85.0 CH04e03 86.1 CH02a08z 87.7 E36M47_229 88.6 E38M50_124 89.7 E38M59_216 91.0 E38M48_433 92.9 E35M50_451 94.8 LD_T_500 97.5 E38M47_53 99.4 E38M50_270 100.3 CH01c06_2 102.2 E33M47_126 106.9 CH04h02_2 108.1 E38M59_366 112.8 CH04h02_4 118.4 LG05 E33M47_88 0.0 AE01_730 12.3 AA11_480 19.2 E33M47_260 22.2 E40M60_64 22.3 NZ03c01x_1 23.5 E36M50_414 26.4 E35M48_66 30.2 E33M47_165 32.0 E38M49_131 33.3 CH03d07 34.3 E40M48_155 36.8 F09_690 37.0 E35M48_165 37.9 E38M47_99 41.0 Hi01d05 41.3 Malus_2852 49.4 CH03d12 51.3 E35M47_168 52.9 E38M50_130 54.2 E33M48_175 59.5 E35M50_156 63.6 Malus_2950_2_1 69.5 Malus_2950_1_6 73.9 Malus_2950_1_1 75.0 AJ000761 75.1 Malus_1521 77.2 Malus_2950_1_4 81.1 Malus_5871 88.6 CH03c01 95.4 NR1_E03_250 102.6 LG06 MalRoot175_1_320 0.0 E35M50_204 2.7 E38M48_131 5.6 E38M59_311 8.7 E36M50_147 13.2 E37M48_134 13.7 E40M47_80 17.0 E36M50_169 19.1 CH05b06z_3 19.9 Hi04c10x_2 27.5 CH04e05 27.8 C02-1200 29.7 E35M48_149 30.9 E40M62_239 35.7 E40M47_105 41.0 MalRoot452_620 44.8 D08_930 47.0 E38M49_265 48.5 E40M48_133 50.6 E37M62_123 53.7 CH03h03z_2 56.2 E38M49_339 57.4 E40M62_89 60.5 E38M47_238 61.6 K1_G01_190 62.2 E38M49_98 66.4 E38M59_141 67.3 E38M50_115 68.5 E40M47_75 70.1 E40M48_160 71.8 E36M62_214 76.3 E37M48_296 82.4 Malus_3760 92.0 Hi05b09 98.3 E40M47_73 117.9 LG07 E33M47_86 0.0 E38M49_58 6.8 Malus_2421 9.6 NF2_H11-310 10.0 Hi04b12 17.6 CH01c06_1 22.9 CH02g09 30.4 E38M48_340 32.6 E36M47_218 34.9 E40M60_223 37.2 E38M48_296 38.3 E35M50_249 41.3 E37M49_435 41.7 E35M47_125 43.9 E38M49_223 44.7 E38M59_282 49.9 E38M59_117 53.5 Malus_2950_1_2 57.1 Hi23g12 58.1 E35M48_162 63.1 E37M48_263 66.1 Hi04e05 69.5 E33M48_157 70.7 E38M47_361 74.2 E33M47_466 75.2 E37M49_203 75.7 E37M49_181 79.5 E40M48_101 80.5 E36M62_207 99.0 E37M62_361 102.8 E35M48_62 103.0 E33M47_90 112.1 LG08 CH04c06y_3 0.0 E38M49_404 18.7 GD142 25.1 E38M49_249 27.0 E33M48_339 32.2 E40M60_172 32.8 NH029a 36.9 E40M62_67 38.3 E38M50_291 48.4 E41M48_295 51.3 CH05c07 54.4 Hi05e07 56.8 E38M48_290 59.5 E35M47_344 60.4 E38M59_94 63.5 CH01h02_2 64.6 CH01h02_1 65.9 Hi01d01 67.4 E41M48_117 70.1 MalRoot831_280 70.9 E40M60_283 72.9 GD158_2 73.4 CH05d08y_2 74.4 E38M59_99 75.2 E38M48_74 76.0 E33M48_56 78.9 E38M48_379 79.1 E38M47_174 81.4 E36M50_323 84.9 E35M50_279 86.4 E35M47_459 89.1 E35M47_368 91.8 E35M50_92 106.6 LG09 E36M62_400 0.0 Malus_4829 8.2 MS06g03 9.6 CH02b03b 16.8 CH01f07a 17.0 MS02a01 17.2 E38M48_270 24.8 GD158_1 27.8 E38M59_54 37.0 D03_900 39.4 E33M47_102 42.0 E38M47_162 53.8 E41M50_268 62.4 E40M62_100 62.6 NR1_F02_300 69.8 CH02c11 73.3 CH01f12 75.0 E33M48_330 79.1 E37M49_234 80.5 CH02a10 83.3 E38M49_138 84.8 E38M48_229 86.2 E38M49_218 87.3 E35M48_179 89.5 Hi04f08 92.0 CH04c06y_1 93.5 E33M48_360 94.6 CH02b07 96.8 Hi02d04 100.4 E37M48_180 108.6 G09_1400 111.4 LG10 E41M48_169 0.0 E36M50_223 6.5 CH04h02_1 9.8 CH04h02_3 13.3 MalRoot439_180 19.1 E35M48_148 22.4 E36M62_71 23.0 E35M47_306 24.8 E37M48_467 27.6 CH02d08 34.1 E36M47_235 38.1 E38M48_236 41.9 E38M50_86 43.8 E38M47_225 47.3 E40M48_140 50.4 E38M47_223 53.1 E38M49_62 55.1 E37M48_356 68.5 CH04g07 71.1 Hi06b06 74.7 E37M48_209 85.0 LG11 E40M48_52 0.0 CH05d04 9.3 E41M48_386 17.5 E35M50_163 20.1 NZ28f04 20.8 E35M50_162 23.3 CH05d11 25.5 E38M59_193 28.1 E37M48_295 30.5 E38M50_204 30.7 E35M48_185 31.0 CH01g12 32.9 GD6_1 34.9 MalRoot452_450 36.1 E37M48_297 37.9 CH01f02 39.4 E38M50_133 40.4 E38M49_219 44.3 E37M62_113 47.0 E38M50_224 48.9 E37M62_381 53.7 E35M48_178 55.0 E36M62_197 55.2 E40M62_266 62.3 CH01b12y 63.8 E41M50_139 72.2 E38M59_82 73.8 LG12 CH05h05 0.0 E41M48_75 10.0 Hi07b02_2 13.3 AU223486 17.7 CH05c06_1 19.4 E35M50_395 23.4 Hi07b02_4 29.2 GD147 37.0 GD161 38.5 E35M50_356 41.7 NH009b 45.0 Hi20b03 45.3 Hi03e04 52.4 E35M48_472 54.1 E35M48_405 57.3 E37M49_152 58.0 CH03h03z_1 59.1 CH05f04 E35M50_215 59.9 CH03a08 60.6 E40M47_235 61.2 E35M47_200 61.9 C02-680 62.4 E38M50_111 63.6 E35M50_260 63.9 E38M48_372 64.2 E35M48_219 E40M62_111 64.6 E35M50_121 65.2 E38M49_375 65.6 E36M50_293 65.9 E38M48_259 66.7 G17_395 67.4 E41M48_461 68.5 E41M50_274 70.1 E35M48_182 71.8 E36M62_154 71.9 MalRoot5915_2_380 74.4 E35M47_193 74.8 E35M47_330 81.3 Hi05c06_4 83.3 GD154_1 93.6 NZ03c01x_4 97.1 LG13 E37M49_73 0.0 GD126 28.5 E37M62_192 30.2 E40M48_56 34.5 E35M47_150 38.2 E37M47_362 40.6 E37M47_370 43.5 E33M48_281 43.8 CH01g05 49.9 CH03d08 50.1 E38M48_272 52.7 E37M49_86 54.6 E41M50_316 56.9 E37M47_369 57.2 CH05g07z_2 60.4 E37M62_198 61.1 E40M47_268 61.7 E38M48_266 63.1 E40M47_221 65.4 CH03a02 68.3 E36M62_177 73.0 E35M50_63 77.0 CH05g07z_1 78.0 E38M47_232 82.2 Malus_2950_1_3 91.8 Malus_2950_2_2 Malus_2940 Malus_2950_1_5 92.3 MalRoot452_260 105.1 LG14 Hi02g06 0.0 E33M47_215 10.7 E38M59_79 18.0 E38M48_103 38.7 CH02c02a_1 47.1 E33M47_225 59.0 Hi06f09 64.4 E33M48_336 70.1 E38M47_103 75.4 E35M50_164 77.5 E40M48_138 80.4 CH02d11 81.2 CH03b10 82.0 E36M62_190 82.6 NZ02b01 83.2 E38M59_150 83.4 Hi04c05 84.5 E35M47_356 85.3 E40M60_130 86.9 E33M48_184 89.6 G1_F08_415 92.4 E36M62_77 96.9 E38M48_172 100.0 E37M48_71 103.1 CH02c09 108.3 E36M50_69 117.1 LG15 E38M47_76 0.0 CH02d10a 5.2 C11_1400 9.7 CH05b06z_1 12.0 CH05c06_2 20.1 CH01f03 23.3 E35M50_93 27.6 NH007b 29.5 Hi04e04 39.7 E38M59_66 56.1 E38M50_173 57.7 CH05a04 60.1 GD154_2 67.2 E41M50_177 73.9 E36M62_185 74.4 CH04f10 77.5 Hi01c11x 77.9 Hi01d06y 80.0 E36M62_168 81.7 E37M48_309 82.4 E41M50_98 84.4 E35M47_153 85.0 E35M50_120 87.1 E38M49_101 91.1 E38M50_279 97.0 E40M47_82 101.1 E37M47_261 106.4 E37M49_137 106.8 E40M48_282 124.1 LG16 CH04c06y_2 0.0 E38M47_96 11.0 Malus_2952 30.7 CH05g03 33.8 E38M50_417 37.0 E33M48_196 38.3 CH01h01 39.8 GD96 51.4 GD153 53.5 Hi07b02_3 58.6 Hi07b02_1 61.7 Hi03c05_2 62.2 E40M60_174 66.6 E40M47_162 71.0 E38M50_148 73.6 E38M47_407 74.6 Hi05c06_1 79.6 S_allele 83.9 E33M48_132 87.6 CH05d08y_1 89.7 E33M48_466 97.6 C19_1200 97.8 E38M49_88 103.3 E40M62_78 103.6 LG17 Map for Marker Assisted Breeding DWARFING Powdery Mildew Wooly Apple Aphid Apple Scab More Dwarfing? Precocity?? Replant Resistance?? Root Morphology

Released Geneva Apple Rootstocks Arranged by Tree Size M.7-MM106 Size Seedling Size M.27 Size M.9 T337 M.9 PAJ 2 M.26 Size G.65 G.11 G.41 G.935 G.202 G.30 G.16 G.214 G.969 G.210 G.890 G.222 G.213 New Releases

The Geneva rootstocks are much more resistant to fire blight than most other rootstocks.

Rootstock Blight Development after Inoculation of Gala Trees on Various Rootstocks

Tolerance of Geneva Rootstocks to Fire Blight Inoculation and Natural Infection (Norelli, et al. 2002) % Tree Death due to Fire Blight Rootstock Inoculation Natural Infection M.26EMLA 100 93 M.9 91 95 M.7 -- 31 MM.111EMLA 8 15 G.11 25 25 G.16 0 0 G.30 0 4 G.41 0 0

Sensitivity of Various CG Rootstocks to Different Strains of Fire Blight % of Shoot Infected Rootstock Ea273 EA2002 E4001a E2017p G.11 2 13 11 0 G.16 0 33 26 7 G.30 1 45 39 5 G.41 0 17 5 -- G.935 6 56 30 6 G.202 31 44 21 19 M.7EMLA 12 42 45 11 M.9EMLA 91 96 87 -- M.26EMLA 83 74 -- --

Summary of Fire Blight Inoculation Trials G.16, G.41, G.214 and G.202 are highly resistant to field inoculations of the scion with a high dose of fire blight but may not be resistant to all strains of fire blight. G.11, G.65 and G.935 are moderately resistant to field inoculations of the scion with fire blight.

Performance of McIntosh with Geneva and Supporter Rootstocks after 10 years (B&D Plot)

Performance of Golden Delicious with Geneva Rootstocks after 8 years (Cahoon Plot)

Performance of Gala with Geneva, Supporter, JM and PiAu Rootstocks after 7 years (Han 15 Plot)

M27 CG2034 CG4202 JM4 CG4088 CG5757 CG2406 CG2022 CG5030 CG11 M9 CG3007 PiAu5111 CG4003 CG6874 CG4214 M26 JM10 CG4004 CG7480 CG4019 CG4049 CG6969 CG5087 CG5202 CG8534 CG4814 JM1 CG4011 CG5935 CG6006 CG5257 MM106 CG5012 M7 CG6210 CG6879 CG8189 PiAu514 PiAu568 CG6976 B118 CG5890 CG6001 CG6253 CG4013 JTEB JM2 CG4213 JTEC CG5463 CG6589 CG6024 Trunk X-Sect. Area (cm2) Yield Efficiency (kg/cm2tca) Performance of Fuji with 53 Rootstocks after 4 years (Crist Bros. Plot) 60 2.5 50 2.0 40 30 20 1.5 1.0 10 0.5 0 0.0

Propagation of Geneva Rootstocks Several Geneva Rootstocks root poorly in the stoolbed. We are conducting research to improve stoolbed performance - Regalis treatment of stoolbed - Tissue Culture to induce greater juvenility in stoolbed - Tissue Culture plants as rootstocks

Micropropagation of Geneva Rootstocks ProTree Nursery Micropropagation Lab - Rooted acclimated plants G.935 Rooted G.41 plants at NA-Plants Shelves full of G.41 plantlets at North American Plants

Rooting of G.41 Apple Rootstock from tissue culture plants

Rows of Commercial G.41 rootstocks

Propagation by Cuttings is Expanding Typical Rooting of G.41

Additional Rootstock Studies Uptake of mineral nutrients Drought tolerance Root architecture QTL mapping of root characteristics

Geneva Rootstock Commercialization in North America Propagation licenses held by: Treco Willow Drive Nursery Willamette Nursery Copenhaven Mori Nursery (Canada) Consortio Sacramento (Mexico) Others in the future Rootstocks being commercialized G.11 G.41 G.214 G.935 G.202 G.30 G.969

G.11 Tree size similar to M.9 T337. Very high yield efficiency Large fruit size Tolerant to Replant Disease Resistant to Fire Blight but not immune. Resistant to Crown Rot Susceptible to Wooly Apple Aphid Good rooting in stoolbed Geneva 11 M9-T337 Courtesy of Stefano Musacchi

M.9 vigor Very high yield efficient Highly productive Very precocious Resistant to replant disease Very cold hardy Does well in warmer climates (Mexico) Highly Resistant to Fire Blight and Crown Rot and Wooly Apple Aphid Requires tissue culture mother plants for stoolbed G.41 G.41 Fuji CIV 2008

G.214 Vigor similar to M.9 Pajam2 Highly yield efficient Highly productive Good precocity Tolerant to replant disease Resistant to Fire Blight, Crown Rot and Wooly Apple Aphid Very good stool bed propagation No commercial production of liners. G.214 Washington

G.935 Vigor intermediate between M.9 Pajam 2 and M.26 Very high yield efficiency Very cold hardy Resistant to Replant Disease Resistant to Fire Blight and Crown Rot Susceptible to Wooly Apple Aphid

G.202 Size similar to M.26 Precocious, productive Resistant to woolly apple aphid, fire blight, and crown rot Tolerant to apple replant disease Good choice for weak growing cultivars like Honeycrisp Moderate rooting in stoolbed G.202 New Zealand

G.210 Vigor between M.7 and MM.106 Precocious, productive Yield efficiency similar or better than M.9 Resistant to apple replant disease. Resistance to woolly apple aphid, fire blight, and crown rot. Good rooting in stoolbed few spines. Mostly for Organic Production G.210

Liners Production (number) Geneva Rootstock Liner Production in the USA 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 G.11 G.41 G.935 G.16 G.30 G.202 Total CG 400,000 200,000 0 2009 2010 2011 2012

Geneva Rootstock Commercialization in Europe Propagation licenses held by: Janssen (Netherlands) DL (France) Castang (France) CIV (Italy) Others in the future Rootstocks being commercialized G.11 G.41 G.214 G.935 (Weak varieties) G.202 (Weak varieties or Organic) G.210 (Organic) About 20,000 liners of G.11 and G.41 in 2012

Released Geneva Apple Rootstocks Arranged by Tree Size M.7-MM106 Size Seedling Size M.27 Size M.9 T337 M.9 PAJ 2 M.26 Size G.65 G.11 G.41 G.935 G.202 G.30 G.16 G.214 G.969 G.210 G.890 G.222 G.213 New Releases

Questions? Fuji/G/41 Fuji/G.214