SOME ASPECTS OF THE REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY STUDY ON ‘FLAVORCREST’ AND ‘DIXILAND’ PEACH CULTIVARS (PRUNUS PERSICA L. BATSCH) USED IN THE ARGENTINE BREEDING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

In the northeast region of the Buenos Aires province, stone fruits, mainly peach, are cultivated.
The harvest period is extended from October to January but some lapses are not covered because there are few varieties available or the varieties are not accepted by the market.
For this reason, a breeding program has begun. ‘Flavorcrest’ and ‘Dixiland’ are varieties well adapted to the zone and cultivated at present, so they have been selected as parents for the new hybrids production.
The present study shows the results obtained these last two years from the sequence of the pollinations and fertilization until the fruit collected and the final embryo growth was registered.
Pollen viability, pollination efficiency, fruit set and fruit and seed measure were evaluated in a comparative way between those obtained from the self-fertilization and those obtained by cross-pollination.
All these events were studied in relation to the climatic conditions registered in the respective period. ‘Flavorcrest’ did not display auto-incompatibility or self-fertility problems.
Nevertheless, 90 days after pollination, the weight, length and thickness of the fruits collected from the cross-pollination treatment with ‘Dixiland’ were significantly greater than those obtained from autogamy.

VIII International Symposium on Temperate Zone Fruits in the Tropics and Subtropics

M.E. Daorden, S. Radice

Prunus persica, floral biology, breeding program

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.872.20