ROLE OF SELF-POLLINATION AND HORTICULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF SELF-COMPATIBILITY IN CHERRY

Fruit set coming from i) open pollination, ii) hand cross-pollination 100% of counted flowers, iii) hand self-pollination 100% of counted flowers and iv) unassisted self-pollination were compared in order to ascertain the behavior of the following self-compatible cherry cultivars: ‘Celeste’, ‘Lapins’, ‘New Star’ and ‘Sunburst’. About 2,000 flowers were involved for each test.
Fruit set by open pollination was not statistically different both from those coming from hand- selfing and hand- crossing.
The fruit set by unassisted self-pollination proved unsatisfactory.
Cvs. ‘Celeste’ and ‘Lapins’ gave fruit set higher than the other cultivars.

The study also indicated that only mimicing the insect vectors activity by scraping the stigmas of the highest possible percentage of flowers with its own pollen it was possible to reach satisfactory fruit set in the tested self-compatible cherries.
It means also that in the orchard, only insect vectors, mostly bees, could meet this condition, whereas wind buffeting of the fruiting branches is absolutely ineffective.

The results show that a properly performed self-pollination will produce optimal fruit set in self-compatible cherries, therefore allowing the possibility of growing such cultivars in solid blocks, eliminating any dependence on the interplantation of pollinators in the orchard for cross-pollination.
Self- compatibility of cherry cultivars, when associated with optimal self-pollination induced by insect vectors, may be considered a biological trait of a great horticultural importance.

III International Cherry Symposium

A. Godini, M. Palasciano, G. Cozzi, G. Petruzzi

Prunus avium L., sweet cherry, self-pollination, fruit set

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1998.468.70