Determination of S alleles in Paviot × Levent apricot progenies by PCR and controlled pollination

Abstract

In this study, the sexual incompatibility of Paviot and Levent apricot parents and 89 F₁ (Paviot × Levent) progenies was determined by self-pollination experiments and S-allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. According to the self-pollination and isolation analyses under field conditions, it was found that the Paviot genotype is self-compatible (SC), whereas the Levent genotype is self-incompatible (SI). It was determined that, of all the progenies, 55 had a fruit set below 5% and were self-incompatible, whereas 34 had a fruit set over 5% and were self-compatible. The PCR-based techniques showed that, in parallel to the data obtained from the field studies, 55 F₁ progenies did not have S_c allele, whereas 34 progenies involved S_c allele. There were S_cS₂ alleles in the Paviot genotype and S₂₀S₅₂ alleles in the Levent genotype. It was determined that there were S₂S₂₀, S₂S₅₂, S_cS₂₀, and S_cS₅₂ alleles in 89 F₁ progenies and the distribution of the four alleles in the progenies was found to be as follows: 35.9% S₂S₂₀, 25.8% S₂S₅₂, 23.6% S_cS₂₀, and 14.6% S_cS₅₂. F₁ progenies nos. 41, 46, 86, and 89 should be used as pollinators in further breeding studies.