PHENOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND GLOBAL TREE ARCHITECTURE OF THE PEAR GERMPLASM FROM BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IN EX SITU CONDITIONS

Abstract

Fruit germplasm plays an important role in the glob a agrobiodiversity and is a source for both a direct use of fruit genetic resou rces as well for fruit breeding programme. The ex-situ field collection is still the main way to successf ully conserve fruit germplasm. Thirty pear accessions fr om Bosnia and Herzegovina were characterized during three years in the ex situ collection maintained by the Institute of Genetic Resources of the University of B anja Luka. The following characteristics were determined: flowering time, harv est maturity time and global tree architecture. The obtained results showed that 53.3% of pear accessions flowered during all three years, 40% of them during two years and 6.7% of them during only one year. The most present tree archite tur form was upright. According to the harvest maturity time, extremely ea rly ccessions were the most represented, than early, medium and very early pear accessions. Conserved pear germplasm in this ex situ collection represents a valuable material for dire ct use and future breeding programmes.