Comparison of Two Methods of Artificial Inoculation in the Evaluation of Apricot Genotypes for Resistance to Plum Pox Virus

摘要

The reaction of 12 Slovak apricot cultivars and hybrids (breeding program of Research Breeding Station at Vesele) to infection by M-type isolates of Plum pox virus (PPV-M) was evaluated. Two methods of the artificial inoculation were compared: grafting of apricots on naturally infected plum trees and chip-budding of apricots previously grafted on healthy GF 305 seedlings in the glasshouse. Monitoring of PPV infection was done for 3-year period by symptomatology, DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR. Final evaluationof field and glasshouse experiments showed that method of inoculation had no significant influence on the reaction of genotypes to PPV infection, although a delay of PPV expression and minor discordance in symptom presence could be noted in some genotypes. Four Slovak apricot genotypes (Ve-harda, Vemina, VS 158/1 and VS 157/8) proved to be resistant to PPV-M infection in both tests.