Cultivation
Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh.
The selection of a pollinator cultivar for apple is necessary due to gametophytic self-incompatibility, where pollen with identical S-alleles is blocked by the pistil. Successful pollination requires genetic compatibility, synchronous flowering, and the use of diploid cultivars with viable pollen.
In the reference 677 varieties crop Apple, where this is mentioned in the description.
Most apple cultivars possess a gametophytic self-incompatibility system controlled by the S-locus. If pollen contains alleles that match the genotype of the maternal plant, pollen tube development is inhibited, making self-fertilization impossible. To avoid groups of mutual sterility, pairs must be selected based on the molecular genetic profiles of their S-genotypes.
Pollination efficiency depends on the synchrony of flowering periods between the main cultivar and the pollinator. When selecting a pollinator, it is important to consider fertility: triploid cultivars, such as Jonagold or Boskoop, produce sterile pollen and are not suitable for this role. In commercial orchards, to ensure effective entomophilous pollination, pollinators are planted in rows or blocks in close proximity to the main cultivar.
General information about the subject — on the page Pollinizer variety.
Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.
Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh. · Apple
Purdue Research Foundation, USA
Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh. · Apple