INFLUENCE OF THE POLLINATOR IN THE AMYGDALIN CONTENT OF ALMONDS

Abstract

Bitter kernel taste in almonds depends on the concentration of the cyanogenic glucoside amygdalin, which can be more than 1,000 times higher in bitter kernels than in sweet ones. Previous studies showed that the sweet/bitter taste of almonds was not influenced by the pollen parent, but nothing is known about the influence of the pollinator on the amygdalin concentration of the kernel. To study the possible effect of the pollinator on amygdalin concentration, we analyzed seeds from four cultivars: ‘Del Cid’ (SkSk: sweet), ‘Marcona’ (Sksk: sweet), ‘Garrigues’ (Sksk: slightly bitter), and ‘S3067’ (sksk: bitter) that were crossed with four different pollinators: ‘Ramillete’ (SkSk: sweet), ‘Atocha’ (Sksk: sweet), ‘S3065’ (Sksk: slightly bitter), and ‘S3067’. Neither kernel taste nor amygdalin concentration was modified by the pollinator. However, when both parents were bitter, the concentration of amygdalin was slightly modified by the pollinator genotype.