Self- and cross-(in)compatibility between important apricot cultivars in northwest Iran

Abstract

Knowledge of the self-(in)compatibility trait in commercial apricot cultivars is of great importance for breeders and growers. Five commercial apricot cultivars, widely grown in Iran, were self- and cross-pollinated to determine their pollen and stylar compatibility. Fruit-set in the orchard and pollen tube growth in pistils, from flowers pollinated in the laboratory, were evaluated. In addition, specific primers previously designed to amplify fragments of the S alleles responsible for the incompatibility trait, were used to amplify DNA extracted from the five cultivars.All results agreed and confirmed that three out of the five cultivars studied were self-incompatible, two of which were cross-incompatible and therefore had the same genotype. The cultivars, ‘Ghorban-e-Marageh’ and ‘Ghermez-e-Shahroodi’ were self-compatible and, interestingly, shared a PCR band with all Spanish self-compatible apricot cultivars examined to date.