Safeguarding, evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in Belgium: Insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard management
In response to the rapid genetic erosion threatening Belgium's fruit tree cultivar heritage, the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W, Gembloux, Belgium) initiated nationwide prospection campaigns in 1975 with support from citizens. These campaigns aimed to collect and conserve the count...
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Bioversity International
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Genetic Resources |
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| Online Access: | https://www.genresj.org/index.php/grj/article/view/244 |
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| author | Baptiste Dumont Alain Rondia Laurent Delpierre Pascal Dupont Thibaut Donis Vincent Ferrier Julian Reyser Alexis Jorion Dominique Mingeot Patrick Houben Yves Pennetreau René Stiévenard Jean-Baptiste Rey Guillaume Bruneaux Alain Grifnée Benjamin Cerisier Eva Velghe Emilie Mulot Frédéric Fauche Christophe Poirson Françoise Van Roozendael Marc Lateur |
| author_facet | Baptiste Dumont Alain Rondia Laurent Delpierre Pascal Dupont Thibaut Donis Vincent Ferrier Julian Reyser Alexis Jorion Dominique Mingeot Patrick Houben Yves Pennetreau René Stiévenard Jean-Baptiste Rey Guillaume Bruneaux Alain Grifnée Benjamin Cerisier Eva Velghe Emilie Mulot Frédéric Fauche Christophe Poirson Françoise Van Roozendael Marc Lateur |
| author_sort | Baptiste Dumont |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In response to the rapid genetic erosion threatening Belgium's fruit tree cultivar heritage, the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W, Gembloux, Belgium) initiated nationwide prospection campaigns in 1975 with support from citizens. These campaigns aimed to collect and conserve the country’s highly diverse fruit tree genetic resources (FTGR), including historically significant amateur-bred and landrace cultivars, for future breeding efforts. Since then, the CRA-W has maintained a diverse collection – primarily apples (1,629 accessions) and pears (1,198 accessions), but also cherries (355 accessions), plums (236 accessions), grapes (98 accessions), and peaches (29 accessions) – in ex situ unsprayed repository and experimental evaluation orchards. This approach makes it possible to assess these cultivars for multiple traits related to their tolerance and adaptability to biotic and abiotic stresses. This long-term evaluation method enables the identification of numerous quantitative traits and their impact on robustness and stress tolerance. Moreover, CRA-W has actively sought ways to promote the sustainable use of FTGR through partnerships with public institutions, private stakeholders and citizens. One key initiative was the gradual establishment of a nursery network governed by a participatory fruit tree quality charter, coupled with a traceability system for high-quality propagation material. This initiative led to the release of 33 well-performing heritage cultivars, notable for their sufficient robustness and disease tolerance, for use in both amateur and professional orchards. A decade later, a dedicated apple pre-breeding and breeding programme was launched to harness the extensive FTGR collection as a source of quantitative disease tolerance, robustness and quality traits.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5ca6afff25ad44a49802b8f36262865e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2708-3764 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Bioversity International |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Genetic Resources |
| spelling | doaj-art-5ca6afff25ad44a49802b8f36262865e2025-08-20T02:19:47ZengBioversity InternationalGenetic Resources2708-37642025-04-01S210.46265/genresj.JWFV3378Safeguarding, evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in Belgium: Insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard managementBaptiste Dumont0Alain Rondia1Laurent Delpierre2Pascal Dupont3Thibaut Donis4Vincent Ferrier5Julian Reyser6Alexis Jorion7Dominique Mingeot8Patrick HoubenYves Pennetreau9René Stiévenard10Jean-Baptiste Rey11Guillaume Bruneaux12Alain Grifnée13Benjamin Cerisier14Eva Velghe15Emilie Mulot16Frédéric Fauche17Christophe Poirson18Françoise Van Roozendael19Marc Lateur20Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Centre Régional de Ressources Génétiques (CRRG), Chemin Ferme Lenglet, 59650, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France.Centre Régional de Ressources Génétiques (CRRG), Chemin Ferme Lenglet, 59650, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France.Centre Régional de Ressources Génétiques (CRRG), Chemin Ferme Lenglet, 59650, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France.Collège des Producteurs, Av. Comte de Smet de Nayer, B-5000 Namur, Belgium. Fédération des Parcs Naturels de Wallonie & Diversifruits, Rue de Coppin, 20, B-5100 Jambes, Belgium.Fédération des Parcs Naturels de Wallonie & Diversifruits, Rue de Coppin, 20, B-5100 Jambes, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W), Department of Live Sciences, Biodiversity and Plant & Forest Breeding Unit, Rue de Liroux, 4, B-5030, Gembloux, Belgium.In response to the rapid genetic erosion threatening Belgium's fruit tree cultivar heritage, the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W, Gembloux, Belgium) initiated nationwide prospection campaigns in 1975 with support from citizens. These campaigns aimed to collect and conserve the country’s highly diverse fruit tree genetic resources (FTGR), including historically significant amateur-bred and landrace cultivars, for future breeding efforts. Since then, the CRA-W has maintained a diverse collection – primarily apples (1,629 accessions) and pears (1,198 accessions), but also cherries (355 accessions), plums (236 accessions), grapes (98 accessions), and peaches (29 accessions) – in ex situ unsprayed repository and experimental evaluation orchards. This approach makes it possible to assess these cultivars for multiple traits related to their tolerance and adaptability to biotic and abiotic stresses. This long-term evaluation method enables the identification of numerous quantitative traits and their impact on robustness and stress tolerance. Moreover, CRA-W has actively sought ways to promote the sustainable use of FTGR through partnerships with public institutions, private stakeholders and citizens. One key initiative was the gradual establishment of a nursery network governed by a participatory fruit tree quality charter, coupled with a traceability system for high-quality propagation material. This initiative led to the release of 33 well-performing heritage cultivars, notable for their sufficient robustness and disease tolerance, for use in both amateur and professional orchards. A decade later, a dedicated apple pre-breeding and breeding programme was launched to harness the extensive FTGR collection as a source of quantitative disease tolerance, robustness and quality traits. https://www.genresj.org/index.php/grj/article/view/244Malus x domestica Borkh.Pyrus communisRobustnesslow input organic farmingDisease toleranceuntreated organic evaluation orchard |
| spellingShingle | Baptiste Dumont Alain Rondia Laurent Delpierre Pascal Dupont Thibaut Donis Vincent Ferrier Julian Reyser Alexis Jorion Dominique Mingeot Patrick Houben Yves Pennetreau René Stiévenard Jean-Baptiste Rey Guillaume Bruneaux Alain Grifnée Benjamin Cerisier Eva Velghe Emilie Mulot Frédéric Fauche Christophe Poirson Françoise Van Roozendael Marc Lateur Safeguarding, evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in Belgium: Insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard management Genetic Resources Malus x domestica Borkh. Pyrus communis Robustness low input organic farming Disease tolerance untreated organic evaluation orchard |
| title | Safeguarding, evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in Belgium: Insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard management |
| title_full | Safeguarding, evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in Belgium: Insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard management |
| title_fullStr | Safeguarding, evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in Belgium: Insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Safeguarding, evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in Belgium: Insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard management |
| title_short | Safeguarding, evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in Belgium: Insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard management |
| title_sort | safeguarding evaluating and valorizing fruit tree genetic resources in belgium insights from nearly half a century of unsprayed orchard management |
| topic | Malus x domestica Borkh. Pyrus communis Robustness low input organic farming Disease tolerance untreated organic evaluation orchard |
| url | https://www.genresj.org/index.php/grj/article/view/244 |
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