Evaluating dwarfing capacity of 65 diverse pear germplasm accessions
Author: Amit Dhingra
Published: 2022
Summary: There is a need for dwarfing rootstocks for Pyrus to enable high density production to enhance orchard profitability. However, very little is known about how a dwarfing rootstock might control vigor, which makes selecting new improved rootstocks challenging. In order to enhance the chances of obtaining the genetic donors of dwarfing, 65 germplasm accessions were identified. These accessions also harbored other traits such as disease resistance and stress tolerance. This project focused on completing the establishment of all 65 accessions in vitro as well as obtain a minimum of 10 clones each for grafting ‘Bartlett’ and ‘D’Anjou’ scions.
