IMPROVEMENT OF GERMINATION EFFICIENCY OF INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS PISTACIA TEREBINTHUS L. × PISTACIA VERA L.

An isolated population of a rare transsexual form of Pistacia terebinthus L. was discovered in the Rhodopes Mountain in Bulgaria.
The trees were studied by means of in vivo and in vitro methods and molecular markers which could allow preservation and use of the transsexual forms as rootstocks and eventually as a donor for monoeciousness in the pistachio hybridization programs.
After conventional stratification a very low germination capacity of the seeds was established.
The aim of the present research was to improve the germination efficiency of interspecific hybrids P. terebinthus × P. vera. We carried out in vitro experiments for obtaining plants of seeds from open pollination and purposeful crossings of monoecious forms of P. terebinthus. Two methods were tested – in vitro embryo rescue of mature and immature embryos and stratification in perlite after sterilization.
The best efficiency of hybrid seed germination was achieved after stratification in perlite.
Interspecific hybrids were developed.
The survived plants were pricked in plastic pots and grown under black net in the open.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on the Challenge for a Sustainable Production, Protection and Consumption of Mediterranean Fruits and Nuts

P. Gercheva, A. Zhivondov, L. Nacheva, D. Avanzato

pistachio, transsexual form, embryorescue, stratification, perlite

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.940.40