Advanced Studies in Cultivation and Breeding of Pome Fruit Trees, Apples and Pears

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetics, Genomics, Breeding, and Biotechnology (G2B2)".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2024) | Viewed by 3519

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CREA Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, via La Canapona 1 bis, 47121 Forlì, FC, Italy
Interests: pear; breeding; innovation; cultivation; fruit quality

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CREA Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, via La Canapona 1 bis, 47121 Forlì, FC, Italy
Interests: fruits; cultivation; breeding; innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pears and apples are two of the most important temperate fruit species and, due to their pleasant taste and texture, have been widely accepted throughout the world. Growers of these long-lived perennials must produce high-yielding, high-quality fruit while managing abiotic and biotic stresses. These traits are very important for the development of the pip fruit industry. The goal of many pome fruit breeding and cultivation programmes is to combine high fruit yield and quality with disease resistance.

The aim of this Special Issue, entitled 'Advanced Studies in Cultivation and Breeding of Pome Fruit Trees, Apples and Pears', is to present innovative articles by international researchers on this topic.

Dr. Giuseppina Caracciolo
Dr. Gianluca Baruzzi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Malus spp.
  • Pyrus spp.
  • breeding
  • new cultivars
  • roostocks
  • phenotiping
  • genotiping
  • genetics
  • resistences/tollerances
  • diseases and insect pest prevention
  • innovation of cultivations techniques
  • phisiology
  • post harvest menagement
  • fruit quality
  • nutraceutical

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 5983 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Fifteen Gene Families Involved in Anthocyanin Synthesis in Pear
by Lingchao Zhang, Bobo Song, Bo Li, Shiqiang Zhang, Yueyuan Liu, Guosong Chen, Jianhui Zhang, Jiaming Li and Jun Wu
Horticulturae 2024, 10(4), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10040335 - 28 Mar 2024
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Abstract
Anthocyanins play a crucial role in imparting red coloration to pear fruits. However, the specific number and expression patterns of each member within the anthocyanin biosynthesis-related gene families in pears require systematic exploration. In this study, based on the pear genome we identified [...] Read more.
Anthocyanins play a crucial role in imparting red coloration to pear fruits. However, the specific number and expression patterns of each member within the anthocyanin biosynthesis-related gene families in pears require systematic exploration. In this study, based on the pear genome we identified 15 gene families involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway using the BLASTP and Hidden Markov Model search methods, comprising a total of 94 enzyme genes. Through phylogenetic analysis, conserved domains, motif, and gene structure analysis, these gene families were further categorized into eight distinct lineages. Subsequent collinearity analysis revealed that the expansion of anthocyanin synthesis-related gene families primarily originated from segmental duplications. Analysis of cis-element in the promoter regions of genes related to anthocyanin synthesis unveiled the presence of light-responsive elements and various hormone-responsive elements. This suggests that changes in light stimulation and hormone levels may influence anthocyanin synthesis. RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR analyses indicated differential expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes between the peel and flesh tissues. During the accumulation of anthocyanins in red-fleshed pears, upstream genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway such as PbrPAL2, PbrC4H2, PbrC4H3, Pbr4CL2, Pbr4CL17, PbrF3H5, and PbrF3H6 exhibited high expression levels, likely contributing significantly to the red coloration of pear flesh. In summary, we have identified the number of gene family members involved in pear anthocyanin biosynthesis and analyzed the expression patterns of the genes related to pear anthocyanin biosynthesis. These findings provide a solid foundation for further research on the regulatory mechanisms underlying pear anthocyanin biosynthesis and the breeding of red pear varieties. Full article
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12 pages, 2325 KiB  
Article
Productivity and Fruit Quality of ‘FalstaffPBR’ Pear Variety Grafted on Different Rootstocks
by Giuseppina Caracciolo, Marco Pietrella, Giuseppe Pallotti, Giulia Faedi, Sandro Sirri and Gianluca Baruzzi
Horticulturae 2024, 10(3), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10030237 - 29 Feb 2024
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Abstract
‘FalstaffPBR’ is a pear variety released by CREA and New Plant in 2012. This study focused on the effects of various clonal rootstocks on the main productive and qualitative traits of ‘FalstaffPBR’ scion. The rootstocks used were ‘EMC’, ‘EMH’, [...] Read more.
‘FalstaffPBR’ is a pear variety released by CREA and New Plant in 2012. This study focused on the effects of various clonal rootstocks on the main productive and qualitative traits of ‘FalstaffPBR’ scion. The rootstocks used were ‘EMC’, ‘EMH’, and ‘BA29’ for quince (Cydonia oblonga) and pear ‘Farold 40’ (Pyrus communis). Plants were planted in 2009 with a layout that, depending on the used rootstock, varied between 60 and 120 cm on the row, according to the rootstock standard planting system, and 350 cm between rows. The average yield calculated in the trail field in the 4 years of production (2014–2017) was over 22.7 tons ha−1 on ‘BA29’, 22.8 tons ha−1 on ‘EMH’, 16.3 tons ha−1 on ‘Farold 40’, and 18.4 on ‘EMC’. Fruits of the plants grafted on ‘Farold 40’ always had a medium-to-high size, while fruits produced by the plants grafted onto ‘BA29’ have been larger in size since the first years of production. The plants grafted onto ‘EMH’ produced fruits with the highest percentage of red overcolor. The ‘EMH’ rootstock is optimal for ‘FalstaffPBR’ as it gives the plant an intermediate vigor between ‘BA29’ and ‘EMC’, and a good yield per hectare from the first planting years; the average fruit size is excellent. Full article
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23 pages, 4694 KiB  
Article
The Morpho-Anatomy of Nectaries and Chemical Composition of Nectar in Pear Cultivars with Different Susceptibility to Erwinia amlylovora
by Milica Fotirić Akšić, Marina Mačukanović-Jocić, Radenko Radošević, Nebojša Nedić, Uroš Gašić, Tomislav Tosti, Živoslav Tešić and Mekjell Meland
Horticulturae 2023, 9(4), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9040424 - 25 Mar 2023
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Abstract
The topography and morpho-anatomical characteristics of floral nectaries and the chemical analysis of nectar have been studied in seven pear cultivars with different susceptibility to Erwinia amylovora. The susceptible cultivar Williams, the moderately resistant cultivars Bella di guigno, Poire de Cure and [...] Read more.
The topography and morpho-anatomical characteristics of floral nectaries and the chemical analysis of nectar have been studied in seven pear cultivars with different susceptibility to Erwinia amylovora. The susceptible cultivar Williams, the moderately resistant cultivars Bella di guigno, Poire de Cure and the low susceptible cultivar Alexander Lucas originated from Pyrus communis, while highly resistant cultivars Chojuro and Nijisseiki from P. pyraster and Kieffer as interspecies hybrid P. communis × P. pyraster were included in this experiment and studied for the first time. Large differences in size and structure of the nectaries were observed in these seven pear cultivars. The epidermal cells were with cuticle being more or less striated in Alexander Lucas, Kieffer and Williams. Resistant cultivars had a narrow, elongated cell shape of epidermal cells while those susceptible had an isodiametric. Stomata were mesomorphic in all cultivars except in Poire de Cure and Williams, being slightly xeromorphic since they were situated in deep hollows. Guard cells of the modified stomata were much larger in resistant cultivars. Hypanthium cells were larger in resistant compared to susceptible cultivars. The most abundant sugars were glucose, fructose, sorbitol and sucrose in nectar of all studied pear cultivars. The resistant cultivars (Chojuro, Kieffer and Nijisseiki) had a ~2-fold higher level of sorbitol and galactose, ~2.2-fold higher isomaltose, ~2.7-fold turanose, ~3.35-fold maltose, ~4.4-fold melibiose and ~12.7-fold higher melesitose compared to susceptible cultivars. The sum of quantified phenolic acids varied from 0.049 (Williams) up to 4.074 µg CAE/mL (Kieffer), while flavonoid glycosides levels ranged from 1.224 (Williams) up to 11.686 µg RE/mL (Nijisseiki). In the nectar of the resistant cultivars, rutin, apigetrin, together with patuletin and luteolin glycosides were detected but not in susceptible cultivars, which could be considered as the markers of resistance. Full article
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