Selection and collection of suitable apple cultivars for seed orchard establishment.

At present, genetic origin of seed rootstocks lots used for apple plant production in the Iranian nurseries is incognito. To improve apple seed rootstocks with known genealogy is needed at the first step individuation of proper parents. The country's typical soils present particular characteristics as heavy tissue, organic matter deficiency, highly calcareous and alkaline nature. Native varieties enjoy a high genetic capacity to tolerate current stresses dominating such soils. Proper native parents with known genetic origin are considered as a good germplasm source for seed rootstocks improvement. So, certain cultivars were selected as parents presenting weak vigor, disease resistance and self compatibility were individuated and collected mostly from National Collection of Commercial and Native Apple Cultivars located in Hort. Research Station of Kamalshahr (Karaj) and some from Azerbayjangharbi province. Morphological, pomological and productive traits were studied. The selected parents could be distinct in6 different groups. First group) Selected self compatible cvs, Second group) Poly-proposes dwarf –weak tree cvs, Third group) Crabs, Forth group) Malling and Malling Merton clonal rootstocks, Fifth group) Imported cvs carrying specific genes, sixth group) local cultivars collected from Azerbayjangharbi province. 4 - 6 scions of the selected parents were propagated on MM111. The propagated trees were planted in the next year and the successive years Poly cross plot was completed by adding other collected cultivars. So, It became possible to choose many different crosses between the chosen parents for Di-allele crossing or single open pollinated seeds that are crossed by close to dwarf pollen sources, in various rootstock breeding program. A new innovative model for rootstocks cross breeding was performed and various cross combinations will be feasible as desired by breeder, because of the ordered plantation or tree collocation. This poly-cross plot is targeted to introduce firstly how and which parents ought to be applied in similar rootstock breeding program and new breeding technique for production of novel original seeds characterized by high genetic purity. So, professional seed orchards at great scale may be established by newly selected parents. The tree apples grafted on pure seed rootstocks cultivar will improve fruit yield efficiency through more uniform architecture and less vigorous bearing trees. This poly-cross plot is targeted to introduce firstly how and which parents ought to be applied in similar rootstock breeding program and new breeding technique for production of novel original seeds characterized by high genetic purity. So, professional seed orchards at great scale may be established by newly selected parents. The tree apple cultivar grafted on pure seed rootstocks will see improved fruit yield efficiency through more uniform architecture and less vigorous bearing trees. This model may extend either to rootstock breeding program in stone fruits and other pome fruit crops.