Genetic inheritance of BFexp in almond-peach hybrid populations

• Published in: Acta horticulturae no. 591; pp. 249 - 252
• Main Authors: Kester, D.E, Gradziel, T.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Society for Horticultural Science 01.01.2002
• Subjects: almonds; bioassays; buds; clones; dormancy; genes; hybrids; inheritance (genetics); peaches; sprouting; summer; temperature; trees
• ISSN: 0567-7572
• DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.591.36

Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of somaclonal variants within almond clones that differed in the potential for BFexp based on the time required, measured in annual growth cycles, to shift from BFpot to BFexp. This assumes the existence of a gene in almond for a high temperature summer dormancy. This paper describes early (1970's) experiments which provide evidence for such a gene which in a defective state is responsible for the BF disorder. In one series of experiments the seasonal response pattern of individual buds in a petri dish bioassay was studied. Buds obtained from a BFpot source showed increased inhibition of bud sprouting beginning in late June and early July during the hottest time of the summer. In contrast buds from a BFexp source showed increasing bud damage to individual buds, the pattern depending on whether the source tree was irrigated or nonirrigated. The second series (1960 - 1990) involved the inheritance patterns of BFexp in almond x almond populations and almond x peach F1 and F2 populations. Evidence is that the hypothesized gene is present in almond and not in peach.