SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY AND EFFECT OF RECIPROCAL CROSS AND OPEN POLLINATION ON FRUIT SET AND FRUIT CHARACTERISTIC IN JORDANIAN ALMOND LANDRACES

Abstract

Limited studies were carried out to identify self- and cross-compatibility relationships among Jordanian almond landraces. Therefore, this study a imed at studying the level of self-incompatibility and the effect of cross and open pollination on fru it set and shell, nut and kernel related traits in almond. To achieve this objective, field experiment s were carried out during 2012 and 2013 cropping season on five Jordanian almond landraces and one wild bitter almond ( A. communis ) available in the farmer's fields at Ajloun district, Jordan. Fruit s et was recorded in the field after open-pollination , selfpollination by bagging the branches with flower bud s and cross pollination after emasculation of the floral buds. All almond genotypes showed complete s elf-incompatibility. Genotypes showed variable percentages in fruit set with similar trend in the two growing seasons. Following cross pollination treatment, genotypes exhibited fruit set ranging fr om 40.3% in Hajari to 94.0% in Fark and from 34.1% in Mukhmaly to 93.3% in Fark in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Results showed that cross pollination of Hami Hallo (79.7-81.7 and 77.8-89.2% in 2012 and 2013 respectively) and Fark (83.094.0 and 86.1-93.3% in 2012 and 2013 respectively) with other landraces led to high level of fruit set indicating high cross-compatibility. Slight differe nces were recorded in fruit set in reciprocal cross es. Pollen source did not affect shell, nut and kernel traits. As a conclusion, results obtained from this study showed that, all of the genotypes were self i n-compatible and all genotypes showed high level of cross-compatibility with variable degree among geno types.