Malus / Pyrus Romanian germplasm and its use in the breeding program. Madalina Militaru, Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti, Romania

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1 Malus / Pyrus Romanian germplasm and its use in the breeding program Madalina Militaru, Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti, Romania Introduction In Romania, the work of identification in situ, collecting and preserving the biological material ex situ has had a long tradition, the first reffering being found in the work Pomological sketches by Mate Bereczki (1877), who described 1,075 cvs. grown in his own farm near Cenad (Western side of the country). Later on, in 1924, over 1,000 apple and pear cvs. were recorded in Albert Wachsman s farm at Prundul Bargaului (North -Western side of the country). Organization and extension of the pomological collections within the research units for fruit growing was initiated in 1957 and two years later the first official catalogue with 1,556 was published. In 2006, it was edited the 6 th edition of the fruit species catalogue comprising 23 fruit tree, small fruits and strawberry species with 5,724 from which 872 are apple and 536 pear. Apricot 12% Other 16 species, 11% Peach 1 Cherry 11% Small fruit Plum 14% Apple 15% Pear Fig. 1. Distribution of species in Romanian fruit collections Presently, the Malus germplasm fund is maintained in 3 sites, in different region of the country: in South side, at Research Institute for Fruit Growing, Pitesti, in Central side, at Research Station for Fruit Growing, Voinesti and, in North side, at Research Station for Fruit

2 Growing, Bistrita. The Pyrus germplasm is preserved in two sites: Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti and Research Station for Fruit Growing, Cluj. In the last 10 years, the reorganization of research and development units, together with the low interest of the Agricultural Ministry to finance germplasm maintenance, have as result reduction of number,,ex situ preserved. For the time being, only 30% of the expenses are covered from public projects obtained by competition, the rest of costs being defrayed by own unit s income.,,ex situ conservation of is made using classical conservation in field plots: 2 or 3 trees / genotype, in a linear design without replication, grafted on M26 and MM106 for apple and seedlings for pear. Romanian institutions conserving Malus and Pyrus germplasm Table 1 Institutes Total no. of Malus Autochtonous Total no. of Pyrus Autochtonous RIFG Pitesti RSFG Voinesti RSFG Bistrita RSFG Cluj Evaluation In order to harmonize the data, the evaluation was done according to some descriptors used by EPC/GR and UPOV (Table 2) Recorded Characters Table 2 Apple descriptors Fruit use Plant use Status of sample Virus disease status Season of flowering Colour of flower button Harvest maturity Fruit size Fruit shape Over colour Ground colour Susceptibility to Venturia inaequalis Pear descriptors Fruit use Plant use Status of sample Virus disease status Season of flowering Colour of flower button Harvest maturity Fruit size Fruit shape Over colour Ground colour Resistance to Erwinia amylowora Resistance to Psylla sp.

3 Apple breeding The main donors used in apple cross combinations have been: - for fruit quality and attractiveness: `Parmain d or`, `Golden Delicious`, `Champion`, `Cox Orange`, `Jonathan`, `Idared`, `Belle de Boscoop`, `Rome Beaty`, `Frumos de Voinesti`; - for late ripening and good storage: `Wagner`, `Winter Banana`, `Granny Smith`, `Peasgood`, `Gustiv Durabil`, `Cortland`, `Verzisoare`, `Delicios de Voinesti`; - sources for scab resistance: Malus floribunda, M. kaido, M. micromalus, M. atrosanguinea, `Florina`, `Prima`, `Priam`, `Priscilla`, `Sir Prize`, `McFree`, `Pionier`, `Voinea`, `Generos`; - for low vigor: `Starkrimson`; - for earliness: `Astrahan rouge`, `Romus 1`; - for compact habit: Mc Intosh Wijcik (Braniste, 2006; Uncheasu and Petre, 2008) As result, in the period , 61 new varieties were registered, having as major donors `Prima`, `Jonathan`, `Golden Delicious`, `Florina` and `Idared` cvs. The most spreader cultivars are: Romus 3, Romus 4 (from RIFG Pitesti), Frumos de Voinesti, Generos (from RSFG Voinesti) and Auriu de Bistrita (from RSFG Bistrita). Romus 1 Romus 2 Redix Estival Nicol Colonade Silvan Somesan Stefano other 33% Jonathan 21% Aromat de vara Rosu de Cluj Frumos de Voinesti Ancuta, Feleac Radaseni, Falticeni Ardelean, Delia Gloria Prima 23% Rebra Rustic Colmar Florina 4% Idared 3% Parmain d'or 8% Generos Poiana, Auriu de Cluj, Saruman, Sauron Golden delicious 8% Salva, Goldprim Alex Auriu de Bistriţa Pionier, Voinea, Ciprian, Romus 3, Romus 4, Aura, Starkprim, Jonaprim, Bistriţean Iris, Dany, Doina, Luca, Pomona, Real, Chindia, Discoprim Fig. 2. The most used genitors in the apple breeding and released cultivars

4 Pear breeding As a result of data collected out of evaluation of tree s and fruit characteristics, genotypes common used in breeding activity were: - `Bususoiace`, `Aromata de Bistrita` (autochthonous cvs.), for late blooming; - `Daciana`, `Argessis`, `Carpica`(Romanian cvs.), for early blooming and fruit quality; - `Beurre Bosc`, `Beurre Hardy`, `Willimas`, `Max Red Barlett`,`Highland`, `Abate Fetel`, `Packham s Triumph`, `General Leclerc`, `Olivier de Serres` (foreign cvs.), `Untoasa de Geoagiu` (Romanian cv.), for fruit quality and appearance; - `Passe Crassane`, `Contesse de Paris`, `Cure`, `President Drouard`, `Doyenne d hiver`, `Madame Levavasseur` (foreign cvs.), `Republica`, `Euras` (Romanian cvs.), for late ripening and good storage capacity; - `P. serotina`, `P. serotina x Willimas, `Kieffer Seedling`, for resistance to fire blight (Erwinia amylowora) and scab (Venturia pirina); - `Honeysweet`,`Severianka`, `Tse Li`, `Chang Pa Li`, `Old Home`, `Sierra` (foreign cvs.), `Imperiale` (autochthonous cv.), for tolerance to Psylla sp.; - `Packham s Triumph` (foreign cv.), `Napoca`, `Haydeea` (Romanian cvs.), for high productivity; -`Cu miezul rosu` (autochthonous cv.), for red colored flesh (Braniste, 1998, 2006). Based on their evaluation, the valuable, traits such as disease and insects resistance or tolerance, fruit quality and good capacity of storage, as `Napoca`, `Beurre precoce Morettini`, `Comtesse de Paris`, `Doyenne d hiver` were crossed. As result of breeders work, in 2011, the Romanian Official Catalogue included 35 new pear cultivars. Aromata de Bistrita Napoca Aniversare Republica Doina Corina Orizont Ervina Other 43% Napoca 15% Trivale, Triumf, Argessis, Daciana, Carpica, Getica, Jubileu 50, Ina Estival Beurre precoce Morettini 12% Trivale Triumf Argessis Daciana Carpica Comtesse de Paris 11% Virgiliu hibernal Milenium Untoasă de Geoagiu Euras Olivier de Serres Doyenne d'hiver 10% Tudor Euras Fig. 3. The most used genitors in the pear breeding and released cultivars

5 The Malus/Pyrus genetic resources existing in the research centers have been used in breeding programs, for create a large variability of multiple valuable genes, very important for the future of breeding activity in Romania. References: 1. Braniste N., Cociu V., 2006, Genetic resources in the Romanian pomological collections, Fondul de germoplasma la speciile pomicole, de arbusti fructiferi si capsun din colectiile din Romania, p: Braniste N., Militaru Madalina, 2008, Germplasm fund of Pyrus sp. presently in ex situ Romanian collections, Acta Hort. 800: Braniste N., Andries N., Ghidra V., Pear genetic breeding to improve the Romanian varieties, Acta Hort. 800: Uncheasu Gabriela, Petre Valeria, 2008, Constituirea fondului de germoplasma si utilizarea lui in scopul obtinerii de noi soiuri de mar, la SCDP Voinesti, Lucrari Colocviu National privind gestionarea resurselor genetice din pomicultura, p: 26-31