S‐locus diversity and cross‐compatibility of wildPrunus aviumfor timber breeding

Abstract

AbstractPrunus aviumis primarily cultivated for its fruit, sweet cherries. However, it is also used to produce high‐quality timber. In aP. aviumseed orchard, gametophytic self‐incompatibility is a restriction for free pollen flow and should be considered when establishing basic forest materials. In this study,S‐locus diversity and cross‐incompatibility of wild cherry individuals in clonal banks established for breeding for timber production were investigated. Wild cherry trees (140) with outstanding forest growth habit, collected in northern Spain, grafted and planted in two clonal banks, were genotyped at theS‐locus. The self‐incompatibilityS‐locus genes,S‐RNaseandSFB, were analysed byPCR. Twenty‐twoS‐haplotypes, resulting in 72 differentS‐genotypes, were identified. The genotypes were grouped into 33 incompatibility groups and 39 unique genotypes. This initialS‐locus analysis revealed large genetic diversity of wild cherry trees from the Spanish northern deciduous forest, and provides useful information for seed orchard design. WildP. aviumdisplays significantly more genetic diversity than what is detected in local cultivars, revealing a narrowing of genetic diversity during local domestication.