Evaluation of Self-fruitfulness with Hand-pollination in Crabapples, Malus spp.

Abstract

Based on hand pollination, 217 crabapple cultivars were examined to determine their self-fruitfulness potential. One hundred and six cultivars failed to self-pollinate for fruits set. More than 50% self-pollinated fruit were obtained from 29 cultivars. Especially, the fruit set of ‘Jiringo’, ‘Karafutozumi’, ‘Katherine Crab’, Malus hupehensis, M. scheideckeri, ‘Mary Porter Crab’, ‘Mokoto’, ‘Nepal Apple Collections No. 85-I-74-3 86090-3’, ‘Scheidecker Crab’, ‘Silver Moon Crab’, ‘Tachikaido’, and ‘Tea Crab 81105’ were more than 50% by self-pollination over two years. ‘Jiringo’, ‘Katherine Crab’, ‘Mary Porter Crab’, ‘Scheidecker Crab’, and ‘Tachikaido’ have the potential to be self-compatible cultivars because their self-pollinated fruits contain complete seeds. Non-pollinated fruits of M. scheideckeri, ‘Nepal Apple Collections No. 85-I-74-3 86090-3’, and ‘Tea Crab 81105’ may contain apomictic seeds. Moreover, self-pollinated fruits contained seeds and non-pollinated fruits contained no seeds, suggesting that ‘Karafutozumi’ and ‘Mokoto’ may be self-compatible and parthenocarpic. The study findings not only provide breeding material for self-compatible apple cultivars, but also have led to the discovery of new apomictic and parthenocarpic research materials.