Fruit shape and reproductive self and cross compatibility for the performance of fruit set in an andromonoecious species: Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge

Qing Wang,Wenbin Guan,Yanzi Huang,Yousry A. El-Kassaby,Ziyang Wang

doi:10.1007/s11295-017-1198-9

Qing Wang, Wenbin Guan + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-017-1198-9

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Abstract

A replicated 6 × 6 complete diallel mating among six fruit shape types of Xanthoceras sorbifolium (yellowhorn), an andromonoecious plant known for its exceedingly low fruit and seed set, was conducted to investigate the species mating system. This mating design was implemented to investigate the relationship between fruit shape type and fruit yield, finding the most productive fruit shape-type matings, and explore maternal and paternal plants spatial arrangements for yield enhancement. The study confirmed the maternal inheritance of fruit shape type, open-pollination often associated with low fruit production, the presence of high inbreeding depression, and differential yield among fruit shape-type matings and directions and identified specific matings between fruit shape types with increased yield potential for the species’ commercial production. A high fruit yield planting spatial arrangement of parents is proposed and its pro et contra under open-pollinated production mode were discussed.

Highlights

Andromonoecious species have received increased attention for their peculiar reproductive schemes in which plants produce both perfect and staminate flowers (Bawa et al 1982; Miedaner and Geiger 2015; Renner 2014)
Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge (Sapindaceae), known as yellowhorn or wen guan guo, is an andromonoecious oilseed tree species that is widely distributed in northern China (Fu et al 2008)
We are aiming at addressing three principal questions: (1) Does fruit shape allow to infer yield potential? (2) Which shape type is best matched with respect to yield aspect? (3) Can we improve the fruit yield under field conditions by various spatial arrangements of maternal and paternal plants?

Summary

Introduction

Andromonoecious species have received increased attention for their peculiar reproductive schemes in which plants produce both perfect and staminate flowers (Bawa et al 1982; Miedaner and Geiger 2015; Renner 2014). Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge (Sapindaceae), known as yellowhorn or wen guan guo, is an andromonoecious oilseed tree species that is widely distributed in northern China (Fu et al 2008). In this species, plants produce a large number of male and a limited number hermaphrodite flowers (Zhou and Fu 2010). Yellowhorn suffers from extremely low fruit yield and is dubbed as “the tree of thousand flowers but one fruit” (Ding and Ao 2008)

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