<i>In vivo</i> and <i>in situ</i> characterization of the growth of polynic tubes in Japanese plums

Abstract

The objective of this study was to characterize the reproductive compatibility among cultivars and selections of Japanese plum through controlled pollination, both in vivo and in situ, to obtain a profile of reproductively compatible cultivars. In situ and in vivo self-pollinations were carried out in an F1 population of Japanese plum, and in vivo pollinations were conducted on the pollen-grain receptor cultivars: Laetitia, Zafira and Fortune, and the pollen-grain donor cultivars: Piamontesa, Selection Plum 86-13, Harry Pickstone, Black Amber, Bruce, SC-17, Laetitia, SC-15, SC 7, Zafira, Amarelinha, América, Reubennel and Fortune, to verify the percentage of germination of pollen grains and growth of pollen tubes in the pistils of the recipient plants. The in situ and in vivo assays for the F1 population confirm the self-compatibility of genotypes 13 and 35. The Laetitia cultivar is self-incompatible; however, it is compatible with the Selection ‘Plum 86-13’. ‘Zafira’ is self-incompatible. ‘Fortune’ is compatible with ‘Amarelinha’, ‘SC-7’, ‘America’, ‘Harry Pickstone’ and ‘Reubennel’, but it is self-incompatible.