What was it all about?

The Australian pineapple industry is expanding as market demand for new high-quality fresh fruit products increases. The major fresh fruit clones, MD-2 and 73-50, are more suited to the fresh market than Smooth Cayenne, because of their superior eating quality, but they are more susceptible to root rot.

Root rot is the most serious disease of pineapple in Australia. While the disease can be controlled using chemicals, this solution is costly.

This project investigated the feasibility of developing pineapple varieties resistant to Phytophthera cinnamomi, the fungal pathogen that causes root rot.

Researchers began by developing a reliable test for genetic resistance to the root rot pathogen. This allowed the resistance of each tested variety to be determined. Over 200 seedlings were studied.

The study identified sources of resistance in modern clones and confirmed the feasibility of breeding for resistance. The results and methods that were developed will inform any future pineapple breeding efforts.