Seedling Growth Performance of Selected Rootstock Almond Genotypes and Their Nematode Resistance

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the germination and seedling growth performances of 25 rootstock candidates of almond genotypes and their tolerance to Meloidogyne incognita and Meloidogyne javanica nematode species. It was found that genotypes 29, 57, 58, 76, and 156 showed a germination output of over 90% in the years 2017 and 2018 and they stood out in terms of seed germination. We determined that genotypes 29, 68, 133, and 196 showed less than 5% variation in terms of the coefficients of variation in the seed diameter in both years. In terms of seedling size variation, genotypes 101, 161, and 183 came to the fore with a variation of less than 5% in both years. Although it was determined that all genotypes reached the thickness that can be grafted at a high rate in the same year, genotypes 29 and 161 stood out with the rate of seedlings with a diameter of over 7 mm in both years. Generally, the gall ratio of Meloidogyne incognita and the resulting population in the soil were higher than those of Meloidogyne javanica. According to the gall ratios in the roots, the gall ratio values in genotypes 29, 66, 80, 121, 127, 134, 143, 161, and 163 were 2.0 and below, and they stood out as promising genotypes for resistance. Genotype 29 was noteworthy in terms of both its seedling growth performance and nematode tolerance characteristics.