Effect of Metaxenia on the Fruit Quality of Scab Resistant Apple Varieties

Fruit quality of apples is influenced by the metaxenic pollen effect of the pollinators. At RIFG Pitesti, the flowers of two scab resistant cultivars (’Topaz’ and ‘Dalinette’) were hand pollinated with other apple cultivars: one scab resistant (’Priam’) and two scab susceptible (’Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’). Morphological parameters of fruit (diameter, weight, seed number, skin colour) and quality parameters (firmness, refraction) was investigated at the harvesting time in the Genetic and Breeding Department in order to prove the metaxenic effect. ‘Topaz’ fruits obtained from pollination with ‘Priam’ and ‘Golden Delicious’ were recorded good size parameters (diameter, weight) and flesh quality (firmness and refraction). In case of ‘Dalinette’ fruits, among cultivars used as pollinator, ‘Idared’ caused the biggest fruits with flesh firmness.