Susceptibility levels of some chestnut cultivars and genotypes to the chestnut gall wasp in Turkey

• Published in: Genetika (Beograd) Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 1205 - 1216
• Main Authors: Çil, Yusuf, Serdar, Ümit, Akyüz, Burak
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• ISSN: 0534-0012; 1820-6069
• DOI: 10.2298/GENSR2203205C

The Asian chestnut gall wasp (ACGW) is one of the most important pests
threatening most Castanea species. The best management strategy against this
pest can be establishing new orchards with resistant cultivars along with
biocontrol (parasitoid Torymus sinensis Kamijo (Hymenoptera: Torymidae)). In
Turkey, ACGW was first detected in 2014 at Gac?k village of Yalova province.
Bursa, ?stanbul, Sakarya, Kocaeli, Bal?kesir, Bilecik, D?zce, Giresun,
Bart?n, Zonguldak, Sinop and ?zmir provinces are also infected with ACGW.
This study was carried out to determine the levels of susceptibility of
chestnut cultivars/genotypes to ACGW. The study was carried out in Yalova
province between 2016 and 2018. In total, 15 cultivars/genotypes were
involved in the study, including European (C. sativa) chestnuts (Albayrak,
Alt?nay, ?Erfelek?, ?Osmano?lu?, Sal?pazar?, ?Serdar?, ??nal?),
interspecific hybrids (?Marigoule? and BDB-L) and complex hybrids (?Aky?z?,
?Macit 55?, ?Ali Nihat?, A9, A55, A56) were tested in the study. In April
2016, five- to seven-year-old seedlings were ?bark? grafted, and
susceptibility to the ACGW was evaluated by recording the ratio of infected
buds (%), visual assessment of the damage (severity), and calculations of an
infestation index. Among the cultivars and genotypes tested in the study,
the ?Aky?z? cultivar was determined to exhibit the highest resistance
against the ACGW. To fully understand the resistance mechanism of the
?Aky?z? cultivar, molecular and biochemical studies should be done and
compared with other results.