Among all of the temperate fruit trees, the apple tree is the one that has attracted more attention when it comes to obtaining rootstocks with characteristics of good adaptation, resistance or sanity. The development of an efficient method to characterize genotypes with tolerance to the aluminum is the first step for the accomplishment of genetic mechanisms studies involved in the inheritance of this character. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate the tolerance to aluminum of the apple tree rootstocks M.9 and Marubakaido in five concentrations (0, 50, 150, 250 and 350 µM L-1) in nutritious solution. The cuttings of Marubakaido, in the intermediate concentration of aluminum presented smaller root and aerial growth. M.9 showed smaller root growth in the concentrations of 250 and 350 µM of aluminum. The evaluated growth characteristics permitted to identify the apple rootstock Marubakaido as more tolerant than the M.9, and the concentration of 350 µM L-1 is the most efficient to identify the tolerance to aluminum in the 15 days of cultivation in nutritious solution. It is expected that later, this data can be used in works of individuals' selection in segregated populations accomplished in crossings with these two apple rootstocks.
Malus sp.; genetic breeding; aluminum tolerance
