Susceptibility of Twenty-Three Kiwifruit Cultivars to Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae †

Abstract

One of the best methods to control plant disease is the use of resistant cultivars. The purpose of this study is to evaluate 23 kiwifruit genotypes and cultivars for susceptibility to four strains of Psa (biovar 3) in alaboratory setting. The results showed that all the bacterial strains were pathogenic. There was no statistical difference among the bacterial strains tested. None of the kiwifruit cultivars tested were immune to Psa. There was a statistical difference in the level of susceptibility among cultivars. The cultivars Sorelli and D495/312 were the most susceptible, while the cultivar A501/44 was the most resistant. However, the above results must be verified in field conditions.