Articles
Breeding in European pear (Pyrus communis) for red-skinned and red-fleshed fruit the red-skinned gene C affects tree habit and flowering
Article number
1366_31
Pages
269 – 274
Language
English
Abstract
The pear breeding programme at INRAE Angers-Beaucouzé is partly devoted to screen for red-skinned fruit from mutants derived from European pear cultivars.
These mutants were selected around 1950 in the USA from Doyenné du Comice, Bartlett and Beurré Hardy. Several combinations involving these red mutants and also cultivars such as Lombacad and Red Satin were studied for the inheritance of red leaves in the greenhouse and red-skinned fruit in the field.
A single dominant gene (already named C/c) codes for red leaves and fruit skin in these different progenies.
In the present study, the focus was evaluating vigour, tree habit and flowering time of field planted progenies.
The traits were determined and compared between the segregants (C/C, C/c, c/c). The deep-red seedlings (C/C) have a columnar habit with some weak feathers and their flowering in the field is late compared to the other segregants (C/c and c/c). Our results highlight a pleiotropic effect of gene C on tree habit and flowering time.
The other part of this breeding programme is related to red-fleshed pears.
Progenies from the cultivar Sanguine dItalie were evaluated for this character.
A single dominant gene (called F/f), independent from C/c, was found to control this character.
In the greenhouse the red colour of the hypocotyls is a very accurate marker for the red-fleshed fruit hybrids screened in the field.
An improved knowledge of the genetic basis of production and accumulation of red pigments in the fruit flesh will better support the pear breeding programmes aimed to select new pear cultivars carrying this attractive trait.
These mutants were selected around 1950 in the USA from Doyenné du Comice, Bartlett and Beurré Hardy. Several combinations involving these red mutants and also cultivars such as Lombacad and Red Satin were studied for the inheritance of red leaves in the greenhouse and red-skinned fruit in the field.
A single dominant gene (already named C/c) codes for red leaves and fruit skin in these different progenies.
In the present study, the focus was evaluating vigour, tree habit and flowering time of field planted progenies.
The traits were determined and compared between the segregants (C/C, C/c, c/c). The deep-red seedlings (C/C) have a columnar habit with some weak feathers and their flowering in the field is late compared to the other segregants (C/c and c/c). Our results highlight a pleiotropic effect of gene C on tree habit and flowering time.
The other part of this breeding programme is related to red-fleshed pears.
Progenies from the cultivar Sanguine dItalie were evaluated for this character.
A single dominant gene (called F/f), independent from C/c, was found to control this character.
In the greenhouse the red colour of the hypocotyls is a very accurate marker for the red-fleshed fruit hybrids screened in the field.
An improved knowledge of the genetic basis of production and accumulation of red pigments in the fruit flesh will better support the pear breeding programmes aimed to select new pear cultivars carrying this attractive trait.
Authors
P. Guérif, A. Guyader, Y. Lespinasse
Keywords
progenies, tree habit, greenhouse and field test, pear selections, pleiotropy
Groups involved
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Temperate Tree Fruits
- Division Temperate Tree Nuts
- Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts
- Division Horticulture for Development
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
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