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In 1988, the Department of Biological Control and Plant Genetic Resources at the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre started an apple-breeding programme using local genetic resources and modern varieties. Our objective is to create high quality commercial cultivars with durable resistance to scab (Venturia inaequalis), powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha) and canker (Nectria galligena). The breeding strategy is based on crossing old apple cultivars and landraces selected as parents for low disease susceptibility and possessing other desirable horticultural characteristics. The programme aims to develop an early and efficient selection methodology adapted to partial disease resistance. One of the objectives is to define the optimal screening limit for discarding individuals after artificial scab inoculation tests. Working with large populations of seedlings entails spacing the seedling scab tests throughout the year. In order to work during winter, seedlings were grown in controlled cabinet conditions and in a glasshouse with supplementary lighting. To assess the bias introduced by these conditions, two trials were conducted: the first one to compare the influence of both environments on the results of scab inoculation tests, and the second one to assess the influence of the duration of supplementary lighting. The results enabled us to evaluate the limits of artificial cultural systems. |
