Abstract
Although pollen tube growth has been an important criterion for self-compatibility evaluation in almond, there is not a clear-cut separation between positive and negative growth of pollen tubes in the different genotypes. The examination of pollen tube growth after selfing almond seedlings has allowed establishing different levels of compatibility, but not a clear-cut separation between self-compatible (SC) and self-incompatible (SI) genotypes, related to the presence of pseudo-self-compatibility in almond. Consequently, a relationship between pollen tube growth and self-compatibility in almond may be established for evaluating the seedlings in breeding programs.
Highlights
Most almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) breeding programs aim at developing self-compatible (SC) cultivars to overcome the problems related to cross-pollination of this mostly self-incompatible (SI) species [1]
pollen tube growth (PTG) has been considered a clear indication of the compatibility of any pollination as it is independent of the environment where the study is done, on the tree in the field, on branches taken from the tree and brought to the lab or in trays as described in this study [15], as in all cases the results have been unequivocal
PTG showed a continuous variation in the almond population studied
Summary
Most almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) breeding programs aim at developing self-compatible (SC) cultivars to overcome the problems related to cross-pollination of this mostly self-incompatible (SI) species [1]. Effective SCy implies, firstly, pollen tube growth (PTG) after self-pollination similar to that after cross-pollination with cross-compatible pollen [3] This good PTG after self-pollination should result in similar fruit sets, which may not always be the case [4]. All flowers of the same genotype may not have the same PTG pattern, which may show differences according to the year This continuous variability has been observed for fruit set [2], but when compatible cross-pollinations are studied, PTG reflects this compatibility by the presence of pollen tubes in the style base of all pistils [3]. Our objective was to establish a PTG ratio which could be related to the real level of SCy of a genotype
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