Cross-compatibility in interspecific hybridization between three Prunus species

Abstract

In 2014–2018, a study was conducted on the interspecific cross-compatibility between various fruit-tree genotypes of three species of the genus Prunus: the Japanese plum (P. salicina Lindl) – 6 genotypes, the myrobalan plum (P. cerasifera Ehrh.) – 1 genotype, and the apricot (P. armeniaca L.) – 8 genotypes, and 1 hybrid between the Japanese plum and the myrobalan plum. It was found that incompatibility between the crossed genotypes manifests itself at various stages of hybridization – from flower pollination and fruit setting to the growth of the hybrid seedlings obtained. In the interspecific hybridization Japanese plum × apricot, fruit setting is more dependent on the Japanese plum genotype as the maternal form than on the apricot genotype as the pollen donor. Post-zygotic crossability barriers have the effect that a large number of obtained fruit contain an underdeveloped seed. Seed germination capacity and viability of the obtained hybrid seedlings depend on the interaction of the crossed parental forms. The Japanese plums ‘Trumlar’ and D 17–73 are useful maternal forms for obtaining hybrid seedlings of Japanese plum × apricot as well as Japanese plum × myrobalan plum. The use of the myrobalan plum ‘Amelia’ as the maternal parent allows obtaining hybrid seedlings of myrobalan plum × apricot. The results showed that by using these genotypes in traditional distant hybridization it is possible to obtain more hybrids of Japanese plum × apricot, Japanese plum × myrobalan plum, and also myrobalan plum × apricot than by using the other genotypes tested in the study.