Perennial Crops

In the current production systems of apples and grapes - the two main perennial crops in Europe - there are few alternatives to the 8 -15 chemical plant protection treatments applied per season.

Our goal is to lay the groundwork for alternative strategies and to develop and test alternatives within the framework of national and international collaborations.

Host plant resistance is the safest, most environmentally friendly, and economical method for disease control.

In apple, our goal is resistance against the three main diseases, scab, mildew and fire blight.

In grapes, our goal is to better understand epidemic development and evolution of downy mildew (caused by Plasmopara viticola).

Our main achievements in the past 5 years are:

• Description of the genetic interaction of apple and the scab fungus Venturia inaequalis with the discovery of the ephemeral resistance genes and corresponding virulences
• Creating a reference linkage map for Malus x domestica (apple) based on a microsatellite frame
• Mapping resistance traits (major and minor genes) against scab and mildew as well as QTLs for important agronomic traits of apple
• Identification, characterization and cloning of a major scab resistance gene
• Transformation of the scab susceptible apple cultivar Gala into an apple scab resistant through the incorporation of an apple DNA sequence (HcrVf2)
• Genetic characterization of Plasmopara viticola populations across Europe, showing quantitatively that the sexual overwintering phase has much greater importance in epidemic development than previously recognized
• Intercontinental genetic variability of Plasmopara viticola and of Venturia inaequalis
• As a minor subject, we study the Epidemiology and Control on hybrid grapes of Blackrot of Grape caused by Guignardia bidwellii

Research Projects