Rubber growing in Brazil in view of the difficulties caused by South American leaf blight (Dothidella ulei).

Abstract

In an attempt to avoid blight infection, blight-resistant crowns were top-budded on high-yielding Eastern clones; this method, however, proved impracticable, because the crown buddings used depressed the yields of the Eastern panel clones, and there was also a high percentage of failures after transplanting. Results were more satisfactory with single-budded trees, when the highest-yielding resistant clones were used. In establishing rubber plantations in Brazil the author recommends that material be chosen from highly resistant clones (of relatively unknown performance), from high-yielding Eastern clones which are tolerant, or from seedlings of selfed PB86 and AV1301, both of which show some leaf blight resistance. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)