Abstract
The high biodiversity of the olive tree is an important opportunity to develop sustainable plans to control Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) through breeding programs. Olive tree breeding activities have been limited due to various features of this species including the long time required for seed germination caused by the inhibition effect of the woody endocarp, the seed integument, and the endosperm. Starting from F1 seeds by cross-breeding, the embryo culture was compared with traditional seed germination, evaluating the effectiveness of in vitro multiplication of the plantlets for large-scale production. The isolated embryos were established on a new medium based on Rugini ‘84 macroelements, Murashige & Skoog ‘62 microelements, with Nitsch J. P. & Nitsch C. ‘69 vitamine and subcultured on Leva MSM modified. The results obtained confirmed that in vitro culture of olive embryos is a valid tool for increasing the percentage and speed of germination, helping to reduce the time of the olive breeding programs, offering the possibility to effectively propagate plantlets for further experiments.
Highlights
Accepted: 28 December 2021Olive is a very important and widespread species in the Mediterranean area, it is cultivated mainly for fruit harvesting, used for oil production or table consumption exclusively, or for both
Olive breeding is essentially based on clonal selection and cross-breeding
Clonal selection represented the main method for developing new varieties, and it is based on the selection of clones showing the desired traits, allowing preservation of the sanitary quality through the selection of plants free from viral agents [3,4] and the propagation material within a certification system [5]
Summary
Accepted: 28 December 2021Olive is a very important and widespread species in the Mediterranean area, it is cultivated mainly for fruit harvesting, used for oil production or table consumption exclusively, or for both. Due to the prevalent outcrossing nature of the species [1], olive has a high level of genetic variability distributed among the numerous cultivars and within the different accessions [2]. This variability represents an important resource that can be used in breeding programs. The main traits of interest are adaptation to modern cultivation systems, the production of a higher quality olive oil, and the resistance to pathogens. In the last five years, olive breeding programs have acquired great importance due to the opportunity to increase the quantity and quality of production, reduce vegetative vigor for adaptation to mechanical operations, decrease alternate bearing, increase the self-fertility rate, and improve rooting ability. The resistance to unfavorable environmental conditions such as cold, salinity, drought, or the main pests, Published: 30 December 2021
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
