Kemp, H.

Treuren, R., van

English

Treuren, van, R.

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Status of the genetic resources of apple and pear in the Netherlands

Wageningen Yield 

 
Contribution to the Third Meeting of the ECPGR Working Group on Malus/Pyrus, 25-27 October 2006, Tbilisi, Georgia  
 
(Report of the meeting available at http://www.ecpgr.cgiar.org/workgroups/malus_pyrus/malus_pyrus.htm) 
 
 
 
Status of the genetic resources of apple and pear in the 
Netherlands 
 
 
Rob van Treuren1 & Henk Kemp2 
 
1. Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands. Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 16, 
6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands. Tel. +31 317 480916, Fax. +31 317 423110, Email: 
Robbert.vanTreuren@WUR.NL. 
2. Formerly: Applied Plant Research, Sector Fruit. Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 200, 
6670 AE Zetten, the Netherlands. 
 
 
APPLE 
 
Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN) 
CGN maintains the Dutch genebank for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture under a mandate of the 
Dutch government. CGN holds collections of several agricultural and horticultural crops, collectively comprising 
about 23,000 accessions. Nearly all accessions are stored as seeds at -20 ˚C. In addition, CGN maintains an in 
vivo collection of apple. 
 
History of the apple collection 
Since January 2002 the current apple collection of CGN forms part of the national programme “Genetic 
Resources”, financed by the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The collection 
currently comprises 151 accessions that are conserved in an experimental orchard of Applied Plant Research, 
Sector Fruit in the village of Randwijk. The collection mainly consists of old Dutch varieties, supplemented with 
research material and wild crop relatives. The CGN collection started as a core collection of 83 accessions that 
were selected in 1986 from 184 varieties based on important agro-morphological characters. These 184 varieties 
had remained after a detailed study of the passport data of several hundreds of varieties that were distributed 
over three experimental orchards in the Netherlands and that had mainly been used for studies on pest and 
disease resistances. The 83 accessions were planted on rootstock M.9 in the experimental orchard of the former 
Research Station for Fruit Growing in the village of Wilhelminadorp. In 1996, new trees were made by 
chipbudding on M.9, and in 1999 all trees reached their current location in Randwijk. Since then the collection 
was gradually extended with new accessions, mainly material with important disease resistances, local Dutch 
genotypes and wild crop relatives. Each accession is represented by five trees. The collection is curated by Henk 
Kemp, who on behalf of CGN will distribute materials at the request of bonafide users. 
 
Utilization and research 
Accessions have been included in several studies in order to support conservation and use. During the period 
1976-1982, research was carried out on scab, mildew, fruit tree canker, red spider mite (Panonychus ulmi), 
predatory mites (e.g. Typhlodromus pyri), mottled umber moth (Erannis defoliaria), winter moth (Operophtera 
brumata), Orthosia sp. and tortrix moth (Archips sp.). Investigations were also performed on codling moth 
(Cydia pomonella), common green capsid (Lygocoris pabulinus), apple blossom weevil (Anthonomus pomorum), 
apple sawfly (Hoplocampa testudinea), apple-grass aphid (Rhopalosiphum insertum), rosy apple aphid 
(Dysaphis plantaginea), green apple aphid (Aphis pomi), woolly aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum), and apple pygmy 
moth (Stigmella malella). In addition, production, flowering phenology, picking period, and spring frost 
susceptibility were recorded. More recent studies included susceptibility to fruit tree canker (Nectria galligena) 
and to the apple-grass aphid (Rhopalosiphum insertum). At the former location of Wilhelminadorp, where no 
fungicides were applied during the period 1995-1999, several observations were carried out on scab (leaf and 
fruit), mildew and fruit tree canker, as well as on vigour and tree habit. In 1998, the taste of the fruits was 
examined and the varieties were pomologically described. After a severe attack in the winter of 2001 and 2002, 
fruit tree canker was examined at the location of Randwijk. Studies on aphids are planned for the forthcoming 
years. In 2005, the entire collection was characterized with microsatellites. Distribution of collection material 
included the transfer of seeds to New Zealand in order to broaden the genetic diversity used in apple breeding 
programmes in that country. 
 
Documentation 
The databases of CGN can be searched online and available data may be downloaded. Passport data  of apple 
include genus, species, subcrop (wild, sour, sweet, ornamental), accession name, country of origin, collection 
site, sample status (wild, landrace, cultivar), collecting source (wild, farm, research), donor details, origin 
address, ancestry data and additional relevant remarks. Characterization and evaluation data have been 
summarized in reports that soon will become available on CGN’s website (http://www.cgn.wur.nl/UK). 
 
Other apple collections in the Netherlands 
Parallel to CGN, several NGOs in the Netherlands are actively involved in the conservation of genetic resources 
of apple. These NGOs are located in different parts of the Netherlands and focus predominantly on old (regional) 
Dutch varieties, although the collections may also include foreign varieties and wild material. An estimated 
number of 2000 varieties are collectively conserved in Dutch apple collections. Probably, only half of these 
varieties are genetically different because of a high estimated level of redundancy both within and between the 
collections. Lots of valuable knowledge about apple varieties exists within the NGOs. Unfortunately, the 
introduction of an adequate tagging system for trees, the careful identification of varieties and the proper 
documentation of the accessions is severely hampered by limited funds. Cooperation between CGN and Dutch 
NGOs was initiated in 2005 with the molecular characterization of about 700 apple trees. Currently, cooperation 
focuses on the development of a common database. 
 
 
PEAR 
CGN does not maintain a genetic resources collection of pear. Old (Dutch) varieties of pear are conserved by the 
same NGOs that are also involved in the conservation of apple. The number of different varieties collectively 
maintained by Dutch NGOs can be roughly estimated on 200-400. Concerning the conservation of pear, NGOs 
face the same problems as in the case of apple. 
 


Status of the genetic resources of apple and pear in the Netherlands

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