S-allele Constitution and Flowering Time Synchronization - Preconditions for Effective Fertilization in Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) Orchards

Abstract

Although sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) shows gametophytic self-incompatibility which is con frolled by the multiallelic locus S, overlap in phenophase of full flowering is another crucial factor for the most effective pollination and fertilization between compatible cultivars. This study was carried out to determine the S-RNase genotype using the PCR method with consensus and allele-specific primers, and to investigate flowering time and abundance of 13 infroduced sweet cherry cultivars over the six-year period, under the agro-environmental conditions of West Serbia. According to flowering time, the assessed sweet cherry cultivars were classified into three groups: mid-early ['Burlat' (S3S9), 'Early Lory' (S1S9), 'Lapins' (S1S4), 'Vera' (S1S3) and 'Celeste' (SIS4)] mid-late [Merchant' (S4S9), Kordia' (S3S6), 'Summit' (S1S2) and 'Karina' (S3S4)] and late flowering 1-Starkrimson' (S3S4'), `Germersdorfer' (S3S12), 'Carmen' (S4S5) and 'Regina' (S1S3)]. Based on the S-genotype and sufficient overlapping in full bloom, we offered a recommendation for effective pollination and fertilization of economically important sweet cherry cultivars, which could be very important for both breeders and growers, as well as for the further investigation in this field of research.