THE BEHAVIOUR OF SOME PLUM CULTIVARS TO BROWN ROT FRUIT INFECTION IN NORTHERN TRANSYLVANIA

Abstract

The plum tree (Prunus domestica L.) is the dominant fruit tree species in Romania, according to the FAOSTAT (2021) data base. Globally, Romania ranks the second place after China at the top of major plum growing countries. This species is susceptible to various economically impactful diseases such as brown rot, produced by Monilinia spp. Climatic conditions have an important role in the occurrence and frequency of disease damage depending of a cultivar. Therefore, in 2023 at the FRDS Bistrita, was monitored the behaviour of brown rot damage on 18 plum cultivars with different ripening periods. During the growing stage, 12 conventional phytosanitary treatments were applied up to the harvest time. The determinations were made in the field after fruit harvesting, at the consumer's ripeness stage. Expectedly, the response to brown rot infection on fruits was different through all the cultivars studied. The results revealed low infections with Monilinia spp. on ‘Zamfira’ (6.9%), ‘Anna Späth’ (7.0%), and ‘Doina’ (7.7%), while ‘Matilda’ (39.5%), ‘Elena’ (33.1%), and ‘Jubileu 50’ (31.9%) expressed symptoms and a higher percentage of infected fruits. All the data obtained are statistically supported. The results are encouraging, allowing a selection of resistant or tolerant cultivars to brown rot, considering the increasing impact of climate change. Furthermore, the global trend toward organic farming requires the use of resistant cultivars to problematic pathogens for successful farming.