Variety traits

Self-fertility in Japanese Plum

Prunus salicina Lindl.

Most Japanese plum cultivars are self-incompatible, making the presence of pollinizer cultivars a prerequisite for achieving a commercial yield.

In the reference 68 varieties crop Japanese plum, where this is mentioned in the description.

The level of self-fertility in Japanese plum is assessed using the branch isolation method and fluorescence microscopy, which allows for tracking pollen tube growth within the pistil. In self-incompatible cultivars, growth stops in the style, whereas in self-fertile ones, the tubes reach the ovary. Genetically, this trait is controlled by S-alleles, which enables the use of PCR-based S-RNase diagnostics to determine incompatibility groups.

In the breeding of the species, self-incompatible, partially self-fertile, and extremely rare self-fertile cultivars are distinguished. Due to the pronounced self-incompatibility of most diploid forms, selecting pollinizer cultivars with overlapping bloom periods is essential when designing orchards, as a lack of cross-pollination leads to a sharp decrease in yield, even with abundant flowering.

General information about the subject — on the page Self-fertility.

Sources8

Varieties of Japanese plum mentioned in the description

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.