ISHS Acta Horticulturae 800: X International Pear Symposium
BREEDING FOR RED SKIN COLOUR IN INTERSPECIFIC PEARS |
| Authors: | R.K. Volz, A.G. White, L.R. Brewer |
| Keywords: | Pyrus communis, Pyrus pyrifolia, Pyrus bretschneideri, fruit quality, genetics, inheritance |
| Abstract:
Breeding for strong red skin colour is an important objective of the HortResearch interspecific pear breeding programme. To facilitate optimum breeding for red skin, the inheritance of red skin colour derived from the two main progenitors of red colour used in the breeding programme to date was studied. This involved analyses of F1 and F2 populations created from 1988 to 1997, involving the European red sport 'Max Red Bartlett' and its descendents, and/or the Chinese blushed pear cultivar 'Huobali' and its descendents. Segregation ratios of green to red varied widely in families involving 'Max Red Bartlett' and were dependent on which pear species was in the pedigree of the parents. Red skin colour derived from 'Max Red Bartlett' would seem to be controlled by a single dominant gene but segregation distortions around the controlling locus may occur for families with Asian species in their genetic backgrounds. In contrast, segregation ratios for families involving 'Huobali' indicated genetic control of blush colour from this cultivar might occur by the complimentary action of at least two dominant genes. Populations involving 'Max Red Bartlett' and its red skinned offspring, or ‘Huobali’ and its red blushed descendents crossed with green skinned cultivars, or populations created from the intercrossings of red blushed 'Huobali' offspring, produced 0–14% of seedlings with fruit red skin surface coverage greater than 70%. Families created by the crossing of descendents of 'Max Red Bartlett' and 'Huobali' together produced 30–37% of seedlings with significant red skin colour coverage. These results are discussed in relation to breeding strategies for red interspecific hybrid pears. | |
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