Resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi in the Genus Abies

A major limiting factor for the culture of true firs as Christmas trees is their susceptibility to Oomycete species belonging to the genus Phytophthora. In North Carolina alone, the Fraser fir (Abies fraseri [Pursh] Poir.) Christmas tree industry loses 6 to 7 million dollars annually to root rot primarily caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi. Because no resistance has been found in Fraser fir, in 2003, the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Christmas Tree Genetics (CTG) Program conducted an extensive resistance screening of 32 Abies species (50 unique taxa) from around the world.