Strong pollen limitation in genetically uniform hybrid chestnut orchards despite proximity to chestnut forests
Key message
In arboriculture, the number and diversity of pollen donors can have a major impact on fruit production. We studied pollination insurance in hybrid chestnut orchards (C. sativa × C. crenata) provided by nearby wild European chestnuts (C. sativa) in southwestern France. Most fruits were sired by hybrid pollenizers rather than by wild chestnuts. When these hybrid pollenizers were too scarce, a frequent situation, pollen produced by wild chestnut trees did not compensate for the lack of compatible pollen and fertilization rates and fruit production collapsed.
Keywords
Fagaceae; Castanea sativa; Castanea crenata; Castanea mollissima; Eurojapanese hybrids; Pollination; Pollenizers; Paternity analysis; Genetic structure analysis; Fruit set
Publication
Larue, C., Petit, R.J. Strong pollen limitation in genetically uniform hybrid chestnut orchards despite proximity to chestnut forests. Annals of Forest Science 80, 37 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-023-01188-6
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Data and/or Code availability
The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available in the Recherche Data Gouv repository, https://doi.org/10.57745/KRSIEX
The custom code and/or software application generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Handling Editor
Marjana Westergren
