ISHS Acta Horticulturae 800: X International Pear Symposium
THE IRTA-HR PEAR SCION BREEDING PROGRAMME: AIMING FOR HIGH FRUIT QUALITY UNDER WARM GROWING CONDITIONS |
| Authors: | I. Batlle, L. Lozano, I. Iglesias, J. Carbó, J. Bonany, A.G. White, R.K. Volz, L.R. Brewer |
| Keywords: | Pyrus, cultivar, breeding, controlled crosses, selection, fruit quality |
| Abstract:
The pear producing area in Spain was 38,136 ha in 2003 and it is the third fruit species in economic importance after peach and apple. Four old European cultivars dominate current production: 'Conference' (34%), 'Blanquilla' (29%), 'Limonera' (8%) and 'Ercolini' (6%), and Growers are asking for new cultivars well-suited to the warm growing conditions to enlarge the narrow range of cultivars currently available. Most new cultivars come from more temperate countries and many are not well adapted to the southern European producing regions. A joint IRTA-HortResearch pear scion breeding programme was started in 2002. This programme is both publicly and privately funded. The main breeding aim is to obtain new cultivars with a number of outstanding agronomic traits such as high quality and tasteful fruit which have juicy flesh without gritty texture mainly have green coloured skin, but also some with complete russet or full red colour, have good size and have good handling and storage performance as well as a long shelf life. Some breeding lines are also aimed at early harvest. Populations have been raised mainly with a European pear genetic background, while some also have Japanese and Chinese pear in their pedigrees. After growing in the nursery for one year, they were planted at 3 m x 1 m (3,300 seedlings/ha) on a two-wire fence system. The seedlings are growing well, but iron applications are needed because of high soil lime content. The first fruiting seedlings (1.4% of the first 3,300 planted in 2005) were observed in summer 2006 and the selection process based on fruit quality will start in autumn 2007. In 2007, some 10,000 seedlings were planted in selection plots at Gimenells, Lleida, Spain. | |
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