Reproductive Biology of Fruit Tree Species

This Working Group was created during the I International Symposium on Reproductive Biology of Fruit Tree Species held in Montpellier (France) in November 2021. Subsequently, the ISHS Executive Committee approved the merger of two former Working Groups “Flowering, Fruit Set and Alternate Bearing” and “Floral Biology in Fruit Trees” to form this Working Group.

The purpose of this Working Group is to represent an international scientific community made up of experts who are interested in different aspects of the reproductive biology of wild and cultivated fruit-producing tree species.

The main topics covered by this Working Group are: flower morphology, flower sexuality, bud dormancy, floral induction, alternate bearing, flowering, pollination, pollen-pistil interactions, genetics of pollen self-incompatibility and compatibility, ovule fertilization, fruit development and production.

The Working Group places emphasis on the need for new knowledge leading to strategies for mitigating harmful impacts of global warming on the reproduction of fruit trees, focusing on studies on dormancy, insect pollination, pollen function, megagametophyte development and fertilization, seed production, fruit yield and species adaptation.

The latest research on this scientific field are made known and discussed in a series of scientific symposia. Interaction among different research groups interested in related topics are promoted to support interdisciplinary collaborations.