| Abstract: | Apple plants are self-incompatible because a genetic mechanism allows the female reproductive organ to recognize and reject
self-pollen or pollen from genetic related individuals and allows non-self pollen to effect fertilization. Thus, there are
implications to both breeding strategies and orchard management for fruit production. The purpose of this study was to identify
and to characterize the S-RNase alleles of the gametophytic incompatibility among apple cultivars developed in Brazil, seeking
to give support for choosing right combinations of parent in the apple breeding programs. It also sought to identify correct
combinations of scion/pollinator cultivars of commercial apple orchards. A total of 16 specific S-RNase alleles primers were
tested against DNA extracted from 12 Brazilian cultivars and their parents. The molecular analysis confronted to the reference
cultivars, showed that the cultivars Daiane, Imperatriz and Princesa have the same incompatibility S3 and S5 alleles, while
‘Lisgala’ showed the alleles S2 and S5; ‘Suprema’, S1 and S9; ‘Catarina’, S1 and S19; ‘Joaquina’ and ‘Fred Hough’, S5 and
S19; ‘Baronesa’, S3 and S9; ‘Duquesa’, S2 and S3. For ‘Primícia’ and ‘Condessa’ it was only possible to identify one of the
S-alleles, namely S24 and S2, respectively, with the second allele remaining to be identified. Progeny test indicated the
Mendelian inheritance for RNase alleles. Results of this study will be helpful to judiciously choose parents in apple breeding
programs to improve compatibility. |
