Abstract

Most of the Iranian almond cultivars are self-incompatible followed by pollination, fertilization, fruit set and lower yield problems. Therefore, selecting suitable cross-compatible cultivars for orchard establishment is necessary especially by new cultivars/genotypes obtained from breeding programs. In this study fruit set and pollen tube growth of ten late-bloom almond genotypes, obtained from a breeding program (D, E, F, I, G, L, K, O, P and Q) were investigated under filed and lab controlled pollination conditions. In order to study self-and cross-(in) compatibility they were pollinated by the pollens of overlap blooming-time genotypes in both conditions. Initial and final fruit set, fruit drop and some of the kernel traits were measured under filed condition. Measurements of pollen tubes at the style and in ovary were scored using fluorescence microscopy in lab, Results showed significant differences in some of the studied characters among crosses in both methods and Results confirmed each other in both methods. Fruit set percentage and pollen tube number in the ovary demonstrated that, all of the genotypes were self-incompatible but cross-(in) compatibility was not observed among them. In conclusion all of the genotypes could be used as a suitable polinizers for each others, regarding overlapping blooming-time of genotypes.

Key words: Almond, self-incompatibility, cross-incompatibility, fruit set, fluorescence microscopy.