Description of apricot flower and its implications in breeding

Abstract

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a species particularly prone to erratic productions and this behaviour has been related to the narrow adaptability of this species. Thus, most apricot cultivars are highly specific in their ecological requirements and low yields are often obtained whenever cultivars are grown in other regions. Flower biology have a close link to fruit set failures in apricot and other fruit trees. Pollen viability and germinability, stigma receptivity, ovule development and longevity, the different factors affecting the effective pollination period (EPP), are reviewed. The study of the inheritance of this and other traits in apricot and other fruit trees has allowed planning of hybridisations to minimise or eliminate the production of undesirable seedlings, increasing the efficiency of the breeding programme. Self-incompatibility is common in apricot cultivars of Central Asian and Irano-Caucasian ecogeographical groups, while cultivars of European group are traditionally considered as self-compatible. The flower biology of apricot have provided valuable information to help select the appropriate parent cultivars for breeding programmes, also this information is transferred to farmers to avoid losses produced by an inadequate cultivar selection.