FRUIT SET AS AN EVALUATION CRITERION IN ALMOND BREEDING

Fruit set was studied over three years in 11 almond (Prunus amygdalus Batsch) selections, previously selected for their fruit and kernel traits and self-compatibility, following five different pollination treatments: open pollination (control), open pollination of a reduced number of flowers (control-D), artificial self- and cross-pollination after emasculation, and autogamy in bagged branches.
Significant differences were observed in all cases: between selections, between years and between treatments.
There was also a significant interaction between all variables (two by two and also for the three variables together). In general, the higher fruit sets were observed for the control-D treatment, showing that the thinned flowers had a better ability to set fruit, probably due to the less competitive conditions.
Generally cross-pollinations produced better fruit set than self-pollinations, but not in all cases, showing differences in the ability to set selfed fruit between the selections, a trait which should be considered in further evaluation.
Fruit set in the bagged branches was the lowest, showing the differences in the autogamous ability of each selection, as well as the known fruit set reduction produced by the bag effect.
These sets could be related to the genetic self-compatibility as deduced by the pollen tube growth as well as to the flower morphology, allowing the contact of stigma and anthers.
Year effects were observed at differing levels, thus stressing the need for autogamy evaluation during more than one year for such an important commercial trait as fruit set in almond.

XI Eucarpia Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

R. Socias i Company, J.M. Alonso, J. Gómez Aparisi

self-compatibility, autogamy, breeding, Prunus amygdalus Batsch

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2004.663.138