New Results in Fruit Tree Breeding and Efficient Use of Cultivars

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Fruit Production Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 March 2024) | Viewed by 8526

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: biodiversity; biostatistics; ecology; fruit quality; genetics and plant breeding; horticulture; trees
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Guest Editor
Department of Horticulture and Food Science, Faculty of Horticulture, University of Craiova, RO-200585 Craiova, Romania
Interests: fruit and nut crops breeding; collecting, evaluation and conservation of plant genetic resources; plant propagation; sustainable and organic horticulture; bioactive compounds
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Guest Editor
Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti, 117450 Mărăcineni, Romania
Interests: pome and stone fruit breeding; genetic resources; germplasm

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Calea Manastur, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Interests: genetics and plant breeding; sustainable agriculture; horticulture; forestry; biostatistics; biodiversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In modern fruit growing, the establishment of plantations to ensure high fruit yields, relatively constant from one year to another, of superior quality, and in conditions of economic profitability, peremptorily requires adequate cultivars. The cultivar became the most important factor of production, having the primary role in the realization of the sustainable fruit ecosystems, adequate to the ever-increasing demands of the market, users, processors, consumers, but also producers (farmers).

The purpose of this Special Issue is to contribute to the dissemination of new knowledge and results related to fruit-tree breeding and the creation of new cultivars of pome and stone fruits, nuts and berry crops, strawberries, but also the possibilities of using genetic resources to obtain new cultivars. New contributions are expected regarding traditional and modern aims of breeding, methods of inducing variability and its exploitation (i.e., hybridization, mutation and polyploidy, molecular techniques, selection, etc.). In addition, new results related to the efficient use of cultivars adaptable to the climate change, and to the current needs of society are welcomed. The demands of society include the increasing role of the cultivar in improving living standards; ensuring the delicious, nutritional, and healthy contribution of the fruits in a balanced diet in the modern era; and fruit supply correlated to the continuous increase of the world's population.

Prof. Dr. Adriana F. Sestras
Prof. Dr. Mihai Botu
Dr. Madalina Militaru
Prof. Dr. Radu E. Sestras
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • pome and stone fruits
  • nuts crops, berry crops, strawberries
  • genetic resources
  • breeding objectives and breeding methods
  • productivity, quality, adequate response to the abiotic and biotic stress factors
  • traditional and modern cultivars
  • cultivar potential

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 8735 KiB  
Article
Looking in the Scaffold 22 Hotspot for Differentially Regulated Genes Genomic Sequence Variation in Romanian Blueberry Cultivars
by Cosmin Alexandru Mihai, Liliana Bădulescu, Adrian Asănică and Mihaela Iordachescu
Horticulturae 2024, 10(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10020157 - 7 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1188
Abstract
Since its domestication about a century ago in North America, highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) has gained appreciation by consumers worldwide, and the demand for new blueberry varieties is increasing. Whole-genome resequencing can help plant breeders to decrease the time needed to [...] Read more.
Since its domestication about a century ago in North America, highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) has gained appreciation by consumers worldwide, and the demand for new blueberry varieties is increasing. Whole-genome resequencing can help plant breeders to decrease the time needed to create novel varieties by identifying novel genes linked to fruit-quality traits. The present study analyzed the genetic variability of eight V. corymbosum genotypes, seven Romanian varieties (‘Prod’, ‘Vital’, ‘Azur’, ‘Simultan’, ‘Delicia’, ‘Compact’, and ‘Safir’), and the American variety, ‘Bluecrop’. The analysis of the first ~10 Mb from scaffold 22, a hotspot of genomic variation, in the above-mentioned varieties revealed multiple differences in 11 upregulated and 50 downregulated genes involved in fruit growth and development. Of these differentially regulated genes, two upregulated and five downregulated genes were fully covered by at least 1× coverage depth by sequencing. The genes’ sequence analysis confirmed the high genetic variability of the region, with most of the genes presenting numerous SNPs and some InDels, and indicated that an attempted 10× medium-coverage depth of sequencing for V. corymbosum varieties yields useful preliminary data for use in breeding programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Results in Fruit Tree Breeding and Efficient Use of Cultivars)
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11 pages, 3869 KiB  
Article
Description of Two Promising Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Selections with Lateral Bud Fruitfulness and Large Nuts
by Ioannis Manthos, Dimos Rouskas, Thomas Sotiropoulos and Mihai Botu
Horticulturae 2023, 9(7), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9070820 - 17 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1524
Abstract
Walnut (Juglans regia) populations are considered a valuable genetic resource for genetic variability conservation and walnut cultivar improvement. In the current study, two walnut selections from Central Greece, “FM3” and “FM6”, were evaluated for their characteristics to determine their perspective as [...] Read more.
Walnut (Juglans regia) populations are considered a valuable genetic resource for genetic variability conservation and walnut cultivar improvement. In the current study, two walnut selections from Central Greece, “FM3” and “FM6”, were evaluated for their characteristics to determine their perspective as new cultivars. Their main phenological and pomological characteristics were assessed according to IPGR (1994) and UPOV-TG/125/6 (1999) criteria for 10 consecutive years and compared with “Chandler”. Results revealed that “FM3” presents high lateral flowering (70–80%), whereas “FM6” is 30–35%. Although the date of bud break and male blooming of both selections did not differ from “Chandler” (p > 0.05), the female blooming phase of “FM6” occurred earlier (p < 0.05) than “Chandler” and nut harvest was earlier than both “Chandler” and “FM3” (p < 0.05). Nut dimensions of both selections were higher than “Chandler” (p < 0.001). The mean in-shell nut weight and kernel weight of “FM3” were higher than “FM6” and “Chandler”, and those of “FM6” were higher than “Chandler” (p < 0.001). Other positive nut characteristics were their light kernel color, the well kernel fill, and the easy removal of the kernel halves. Thus, the current results indicate that “FM3” and “FM6” could be considered promising gene pools in crossbreeding activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Results in Fruit Tree Breeding and Efficient Use of Cultivars)
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27 pages, 8023 KiB  
Article
The Main Morphological Characteristics and Chemical Components of Fruits and the Possibilities of Their Improvement in Raspberry Breeding
by Irina Titirică, Ioana A. Roman, Claudia Nicola, Monica Sturzeanu, Elena Iurea, Mihai Botu, Radu E. Sestras, Rodica Pop, Mădălina Militaru, Sezai Ercisli and Adriana F. Sestras
Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010050 - 3 Jan 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2459
Abstract
Raspberry is a delicious fruit with important nutritional and health properties for consumers. The efficiency of achieving raspberry breeding aims such as productivity, fruit quality, and adequate response to stressors, etc., depends directly on knowledge of the inheritance of traits and genetic factors [...] Read more.
Raspberry is a delicious fruit with important nutritional and health properties for consumers. The efficiency of achieving raspberry breeding aims such as productivity, fruit quality, and adequate response to stressors, etc., depends directly on knowledge of the inheritance of traits and genetic factors of influence and their pragmatic use. In this study, the main morphological characteristics and chemical components of fruits of 24 raspberry genotypes were studied in a comparative field trial; 14 were promising selections and the other 10 included their parental forms (Autumn Bliss, Glen Moy, Glen Prosen, Opal, Pathfinder, Titan, Tulameen, Veten, Willamette) and Glen Ample cultivar, which was used as control. The results highlighted significant differences and a large variation among the genotypes (between 2.40 and 4.90 g for fruit weight, 0.19–0.47 kg/cane for yield, 50–106 for drupelets/fruit, 10.0–12.7% for dry matter, 0.23–2.00% pectin, 1.61–2.72% glucose, etc.). The inheritance of the analyzed traits, considered quantitative, was different, but a low heritability was recorded for non-marketable fruits and the number of drupelets in fruit. In several hybrid selections, negative heterosis prevailed, highlighting the breeding difficulties of the important desired traits of the species. The values of heterosis and the broad-sense and narrow-sense heritability of some traits demonstrate that, through judiciously choosing parents, raspberry breeding in the desired direction can be successful. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Results in Fruit Tree Breeding and Efficient Use of Cultivars)
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7 pages, 717 KiB  
Communication
Risk of Extreme Early Frosts in Almond
by Jesús Guillamón Guillamón, José Egea, Fernando Mañas, Jose A. Egea and Federico Dicenta
Horticulturae 2022, 8(8), 687; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8080687 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1889
Abstract
In almond, late frost is the main factor determining the viability of the culture in cold areas, and late flowering remains the key factor in addressing this issue. Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In 2021, [...] Read more.
In almond, late frost is the main factor determining the viability of the culture in cold areas, and late flowering remains the key factor in addressing this issue. Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency of extreme weather events. In 2021, the cold period in Spain after the Filomena storm (11–14 January), in which temperatures reached −20 °C in some regions, was a clear expression in this regard. In many almond-growing areas, these low temperatures affected the closed flower buds of most of the cultivars, except for the extra-late and ultra-late cultivars and despite the early stage of development of the buds, leading crop failure. In this work, we show that early extreme frost only affected the extra-early, early and late almond cultivars that had overcome their endodormancy and fulfilled 40%, 31% and 23% of their heat requirements for flowering. Extra-late (with only 2% of their heat requirements covered) and ultra-late (still in endodormancy) cultivars were not damaged. These results show the importance of cultivating extra- and ultra-late almond flowering cultivars to avoid not only the late frost but also the early frost during the very early development of the flower buds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Results in Fruit Tree Breeding and Efficient Use of Cultivars)
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