Connection between the disease resistance of sour cherry genotypes and the carbohydrate content of the leaf and phloem tissues

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to establish a possible connection between disease resistance and the carbohydrate content of plant tissues by examining sour cherry genotypes with different tolerance levels in homeostasis. Research on the sour cherry – Monilinia laxa interaction involved the comparison of two Hungarian cultivars (‘Érdi bőtermő’ and ‘Csengődi’) and their offsprings (8) by measuring the quantity of homeostatic carbohydrate fractions in their leaves and phloem tissues. The results demonstrated that the glucose quantity and the ratio of glucose and fructose to sucrose were correlated with the disease resistance of sour cherry cultivars and their hybrids. The glucose content was higher in susceptible genotypes and lower in tolerant genotypes. The hexose:sucrose ratios of susceptible genotypes were significantly higher than those of tolerant genotypes.