Articles
APPLYING GENETIC MARKERS FOR SELF-COMPATIBILITY IN THE WSU SWEET CHERRY BREEDING PROGRAM
Article number
859_45
Pages
375 – 380
Language
English
Abstract
Sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is a member of the Rosaceae family, with a gametophytic self-incompatibility system that strongly affects pollination and fruit set.
Alleles at the S-locus control this system, and fertilization does not occur if the S-allele of a haploid pollen gamete matches either S-allele of the diploid maternal pistil.
To produce fruit, self-incompatible cherry trees require nearby cross-compatible trees with synchronous flowering.
In cherry orchards, two or more cross-compatible pollinizer cultivars are therefore usually inter-planted with the main cultivar.
Fortunately, self-compatibility exists, the result of a mutation of one of the alleles at the S-locus, permitting the breeding of self-compatible cultivars that do not require pollinizer trees.
The Washington State University (WSU) sweet cherry breeding program seeks to produce self-compatible cultivars (in addition to superior fruit quality and other trait improvements) and desires an early detection system for self-compatible seedlings.
PCR-based S-genotyping that included primers for detecting self-compatibility was conducted for 243 seedlings from crosses made in 2004 that initiated this modern breeding program.
While self-compatible seedlings were identified, a large proportion of seedlings resulted from unintended parentage, with implications for future breeding strategies.
Alleles at the S-locus control this system, and fertilization does not occur if the S-allele of a haploid pollen gamete matches either S-allele of the diploid maternal pistil.
To produce fruit, self-incompatible cherry trees require nearby cross-compatible trees with synchronous flowering.
In cherry orchards, two or more cross-compatible pollinizer cultivars are therefore usually inter-planted with the main cultivar.
Fortunately, self-compatibility exists, the result of a mutation of one of the alleles at the S-locus, permitting the breeding of self-compatible cultivars that do not require pollinizer trees.
The Washington State University (WSU) sweet cherry breeding program seeks to produce self-compatible cultivars (in addition to superior fruit quality and other trait improvements) and desires an early detection system for self-compatible seedlings.
PCR-based S-genotyping that included primers for detecting self-compatibility was conducted for 243 seedlings from crosses made in 2004 that initiated this modern breeding program.
While self-compatible seedlings were identified, a large proportion of seedlings resulted from unintended parentage, with implications for future breeding strategies.
Authors
S. Haldar, S. Haendiges, D.A. Edge-Garza, N.C. Oraguzie, J. Olmstead, C.P. Peace, A. Iezzoni
Keywords
Prunus avium, cross-compatibility, S-locus, marker-assisted breeding, parentage verification
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