Apple scab (V. inaequalis) is the main disease in organic apple production. Availability of varieties is a major problem as only a few robust varieties are available on the market.
Solution
We propose a list of currently well-known robust varieties that are suitable for large scale production. Current breeding of new cultivars is crucial for the future of organic growing, stay tuned.
Description
Using robust cultivars reduces the need for external and high cost inputs, reduces the workload on farmers (less applications are needed) and enhances the sustainability of the fruit production.
Practical recommendations
• The choice of scab resistant/tolerant varieties depends on the climatic and site related conditions as well as the farm-specific marketing requirements. Discuss with farmer colleagues and the regional or national con-sulting services for organic fruit growing about the best scab resistant/tolerant varieties in your area.
• Check the FiBL list of varieties for organic cultivation for an overview on available cultivars and some of their production characteristics in the link section.
• The most common scab-tolerant cultivars in central Europe are:
Story/Inored, Topaz, Opal, Ladina, Santana and Antonovka.
• Resistant varieties do not overcome apple scab completely. Treatments with plant protection products are still needed but choosing the right variety significantly reduces dependency on external inputs.
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In order to use the comment function, you must register with the third-party provider "Disqus".
When you activate this function, your browser establishes a direct connection with the servers of the third-party provider. We would like to point out that data is transmitted to the third-party provider after activation, and the latter may set cookies that can also be used for analysis and marketing purposes. For more information, please refer to our privacy policy.
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