Identification of Self-Incompatibility Allels in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Using Multi-Level Approaches

Iranian native apricots belong to Irano-Caucasian eco-geographical group and as Asian apricots show the common type of self-incompatibility in prunus species; gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI). This research was organized to clarify the right situation of a group of apricot cultivars and genotypes planted in an experimental orchard in the province of Emilia-Romagna (Italy) for their S-genotype using fruit set test in-field after controlled crosses, following pollen tube growth after hand pollination in laboratory, and PCR-based analysis. The efficiency of some previously applied primers in S-genotyping of Prunus members was tested and confirmed here. To support the data, the amplified fragments were cloned and sequenced. It was found that the integration of results obtained via applied methods in this work can give more accurate results in apricot s-genotyping and being content with electrophoresis patterns some times gives doubtful results. Finally the s-genotype of examined cultivars was determined.