PISTILLATE FLOWER ABORTION IN WALNUT (J. regia L.)

The incidence of pistillate flower abortion (PFA) was observed in 19 different cultivars and selections of J. regia. Studies were made with five Californian cultivars (‘Chandler’, ‘Chico’, ‘Hartley’, ‘Serr’ and ‘Vina’); four Chilean selections (‘AS-0’, ‘AS-1’, AS-5’ and ‘AS-7’), five French cultivars (‘Franquette’, ‘Lara’, ‘Mayette’, ‘Marbot’ and ‘Parisienne’) and five selections from Spain (‘MBT-40’, ‘MBT-31’, ‘MBT-247’, ‘MBT-119’ and ‘MBT-122’). The experiment was carried out during two consecutive years (1998-1999) in the germplasm collection at IRTA-Mas Bové. Significant differences (P£0.01) were observed between years, among groups of cultivars of different origin and within cultivars. Average PFA incidence in 1998 was 29.1% while in 1999 it was 23.5%. The highest average value of PFA was always observed in Spanish selections (70.7% in 1998 and 66.1% in 1999), and the lowest in French cultivars (7.1%) in 1998 and in Chilean selections (2.1%) in 1999. Californian cultivars presented an intermediate average PFA value (16.7% in 1998 and 6.1% in 1999). Great differences were also observed within cultivars with the Spanish selection ‘MBT-40’ being the most affected, with a PFA incidence of 91.9% (1999), and the French cultivar ‘Franquette’ showing the least incidence of PFA in 1999.

IV International Walnut Symposium

M. Rovira, A. Ninot, N. Aletà

walnut, Juglans regia L., cultivars, pollen, PFA

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2001.544.37