(Elsevier, 2023) Crespo Martínez, Sara; Oneka Mugica, Oihane; Laquidain Imirizaldu, María Jesús; Urrestarazu Vidart, Jorge; Santesteban García, Gonzaga; Miranda Jiménez, Carlos; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Cider regions conserve a broad diversity of traditional cultivars for which knowledge has hardly evolved. Key
aspects of their reproductive biology are barely known, hindering improvement in orchard management and
resulting in highly variable yields. In this study, we characterized key aspects of the reproductive biology of some
traditional apple cultivars from the Basque-style cider-producing area in northern Spain (Basque Country and
Navarre). We tested for pollen quality, self-compatibility, and cross-compatibility (S-genotyping). The pollen
quality was good except for Urtebete, Errezila, Reineta Encarnada, and triploid varieties. Self-pollination results
confirm the need for pollinators, as only Moko and Txalaka showed certain self-compatibility. Regarding Sgenotyping,
the population proved very singular, with an atypically high frequency of S26, a frequent allele
within crabapples, and the appearance of a novel unpublished allele (S60). The knowledge generated for this
variety pool will contribute to a better choice of suitable pollinators, preventing the use of popular crabapple
varieties that are demonstrated to be partly incompatible with them, and will lead to an increase in potential
yields in the region.
