Laboratory of Citrus and Subtropical trees
 Objectives
The research area and aims of this sector are:
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Rootstocks resistant to Tristetza |
 The study of problems concerning the adaptation and evaluation of imported varieties as well as of selected local ones.
Clonal selection from different varieties using nucellar plants.
The study and evaluation of the rootstocks under the viewpoint of resistance to different diseases.
The study of different cultivation techniques.
The use of biochemical methods (isoenzymes, RAPDs, PCR) for the production of healthy genetic material of citrus.
Research on problems relevant to adaptation in the environment, growth and development, cultivation techniques and propagation of some tropical and subtropical fruit plants which appear to be economically important for Greece like: Avocado, Mango, Loquat, Papaya, Jojoba, Carob, Cherimoya, Date Palm, Pecan, Litchi, Persimmon, Cactus Pear, Pomegranate.
Propagation of plants by applying either conventional techniques (seedlings, grafting, rooting cuttings) or biotechnological methods (in vitro culture of tissues or organs).
Application of biotechnological methods (shoot tip grafting, meristem culture) for the production of virus free plants.
Results
On the mainly results could be considered the following:
Were evaluated the new late navel orange varieties "Navel Late" and "Lane Late" as well as the super early clone of navel orange "RO 25" that is a choice of Institute of Olive tree and Subtropical plants of Chania.
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Varieties of 'Bergamot' (collection of Institute) |
Evaluation of the recommended cultivars 'Marisol', 'Nova', 'Clasuelina' and 'Miyagava wase'. The cultivars 'Marisol' and 'Miyagava wase' reach maturity in October while the hybrid 'Nova' allows picking in November and sustains its outstanding characteristics very well, until February.
New rootstocks were studied and some of them were singled out for their good performance under the conditions of Crete. The rootstocks of Sour oranges (varieties Brazilian and Bittersweet) are tolerant to saline soils. The rootstock citrange 'Carrizo' is ideal for early varieties, and the citrumelo 'Swingle' for the late varieties.
At the installations of the Institute indexing for virus control was carried out. The disease 'exocortis' is the most common one. So that, for the reconstitution of citrus, the varieties to be used in future programs is necessary to use rootstocks tolerant to the viroid 'exocortis'.
Certified propagative material of various tropical and subtropical fruit crops was imported, from research Institutes of other counties, and the possibility of their successful cultivation in Greece was studied. Evaluation and selection of the most important cultivars of Avocado, Kiwi, Banana, Mango, Cherimoya, Pecan, Feijoa, Date Palm and Cactus pear, for commercial cultivation, was carried out.
Propagative material of Avocado, Kiwi and Banana was produced and distributed to farmers in the framework of development programs of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Improvement in the propagation technique of Kiwi (rooting cuttings, tissue culture), of Avocado (grafting, tissue culture), of Cherimoya (rooting cuttings, tissue culture) and of Banana - Pistachio - Olive - Rubus (by tissue culture) was achieved.
Modern cultivation techniques on plantation systems, on plant size and structure, on pruning and on fruit thinning for the fruit quality improvement of the plants Kiwi, Avocado, Banana, Mango, Cherimoya, Pecan, Feijoa, Loquat and Cactus pear were applied and evaluated.
Cultivation techniques for the production of out of season Mango fruits by intensive cultivation under greenhouse were developed.
The harvesting indexes for Avocado and Kiwi fruits as they were affected by the crop location were determined.
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Avocado |
Mango |
Litci |
Pecan |
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Date palm |
Cactus pear |
Loquat |
Cherimoya |
Some of the Subtropical fruit plants for which research is carried out in the laboratory |
Research Projects
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Fruits of the late lemon variety 'Vakalou' in comparison to the 'Eureka Frost'. |
"Productive Development of Drought Tolerant Species for Arid and Semi-arid Zones". FONDEF. - Ε.Ε.
"Mediterranean Selected Fruits Inter-country Network". (MESFIN). - E.E.
"Quality enhancement of plant production through tissue culture". COST843 - .Ε.Ε.
"Viruses: Study of molecular interactions with the host and epidemiology of Exocortis of citrus fruits" GSRT - PENED 99.
"Hydrogenases and environmental biotechnology". COST 818 – E.U.
"Comparative study of varieties and species of citrus fruits in the region Crete".
Αντιμετώπιση της ίωσης Tristeza των εσπεριδοειδών στην Ελλάδα και Κύπρο. Διμερής συνεργασία Ελλάδας – Κύπρου
"The aphids species of citrus plants in the region of Chania and their role to the virus disease Tristeza" Ministry of Agriculture
"New citrus rootstocks: Micropropagation, molecular-genetic identification and their evaluation in biotic and abiotic factors" ‘ΕSPERYPO’ (ΑΕΙΦΟ/0506/02) in the Bilateral Cooperation of Greece-Cyprus.
"Safe and High Quality Chains and Networks for the Citrus Industry Between Mediterranean Partner Countries and Europe", (EuroMed CitrusNet) in FP6-2005-Food-4 C of ΕU.
Publications
1. CHULIARAS, V., LIONAKIS, S. and GERASOPOULOS, D., 1996. Effect of Cyanamid on bud break, fruit weight and maturation of Hayward kiwifruit. Agr. Med. 126, 408-411.
2. GANNOUN, S., LIONAKIS, S. M. and GERASOPOULOS, D. (1996). Effects of light intensity on sucker proliferation and rooting in vitro of Musa accuminata, Grand Nain clone. Agr. Med. 126, 405-407.
3. LIONAKIS, S. M. and LOXOU, B. K., 1996. Behaviour of some Mango cultivars in the greenhouse, under net and outdoors in the area of Chania Crete. Acta Horiculturae, 455, 401-406.
4. LIONAKIS, S. M., GERASOPOULOS, D. and SOUAD, B., 1997. Kiwi plantlet regeneration from calli derived from the in vitro culture of unburst dormant lateral buds. Agr. Med. 127, 1-4.
5. LIONAKIS, S., GERASOPOULOS, D., CHOULIARAS, B., LOXOU, B., 1997. Effects of shading on stomatal resistance and yield of 'Hayward' kiwifruit. Acta Horticulturae, 444, 267-271.
6. SOUAD, B., LIONAKIS, S. M. and GERASOPOULOS, D., 1998. Effects of the explant type on proliferation and rooting of kiwi in vitro. Adv. Hort. Sci., 12(3), 123-126.
7. PROTOPAPADAKIS, E. and PAPANICOLAOU, X., 1998. Characterization of Citrus aurantium and Citrus taiwanica rootstocks by isozymes and essential oil analysis. Jour. Hort. Sci. Biot 73(1) 81-85.
8. PROTOPAPADAKIS, E. and PAPANIKOLAOU, X., 1998. A study on Glutamate - Oxaloacetate Transaminase isozymes of Citron cultivars. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 45: 561-564.
9. PROTOPAPADAKIS, E., VOULGAROPOULOS, A. and SOFONIOU, M., 1998. Roostocks affect leaf and fruit mineral concentrations of washington navel orange. Fruits 53 (3):167-173.
10. SOUAD, B., LIONAKIS, S. M. and GERASOPOULOS, D., 1998. Effects of the explant type on proliferation and rooting of kiwi in vitro. Adv. Hort. Sci., 12(3), 123-126.
11. PROTOPAPADAKIS, E. and PAPANICOLAOU, X., 1999. Use of four isozymatic systems in lemon and lemon -like citrus cultivars to detect their genetic diversity Jour. Hort. Sci. Biot 73(6) :26-29.
12. PROTOPAPADAKIS, E., 2001. Measures for the control of Tristeza. Agriculture - Livestock-farming. 2:18-20. (in greek).
13. PROTOPAPADAKIS, E., PAPADAKIS, J. and KASSAPAKIS, J., 2004. Collapse of "Encore" Mandarin due to Nutritional Deficiencies. Proc. Int. Soc. Citriculture.
14. PAPADAKIS, J., PROTOPAPADAKIS, E. THERIOS, J., 2004. Nutritional status, yield and fruit quality of "Encore" mandarin in two sites. Journal of Plant Nutrition, vol. 27 (9), 1505-1515.
15. LIONAKIS S., VAROUXAKI M., DAKANALI N., KAVROULAKIS N., PAPADAKIS I., 2007. Growth, flowering, fruit setting, fruit drop, fruit growth and yield of mature avocado trees after cutting back. Proceedings of GSHS 13, 121-124.
16. XEROUDAKI Ε., PAPADAKIS Ι., ANTONOPOULOU Χ., KAVROULAKIS Ν., LIONAKIS S., 2007. Effects of girdling on fruit setting, fruit weight, the carbohydrate content in leaves and in nutritional status of avocado trees. Proceedings of GSHS 13, 109-112.
17. PAPADAKIS
I., PROTOPAPADAKIS E., THERIOS I., 2008. Yield and fruit
quality of two late-maturing Valencia orange tree varieties
as affected by harvest date. FRUITS 63 (6): 327-334.
18. PAPADAKIS I., PROTOPAPADAKIS
E., THERIOS I., 2009. Yield and
fruit quality of 'Nova' hybrid [Citrus clementina hort.
ex Tanaka x (C. reticulata Blanco x C. paradisi Macfad)]
and two Clementine varieties (C. clementina hort. ex
Tanaka) as affected by self- and cross-pollination.
Scientia Hort. 121 (1): 38-41.
Personnel
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