SELF INCOMPATIBILITY IN PRUNUS

Self-incompatibility in Prunus is widespread. Most commercial almond (Prunus dulcis) and sweet cherry cultivars (Prunus avium) are self-incompatible, and some are cross incompatible. Thus, they require a specific pollen source other than themselves to bear fruit. Plums (Prunus domestica) can be self-compatible, self-incompatible or partially self-compatible. Partial self-compatibility means that fruit set from self-pollination can…

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ANOTHER VISIT TO THE WHITEHORSE GARDENS

  At the end of June, I made a very quick visit to the Whitehorse Botanical Garden. I did not have an opportunity to visit with the owners, but made some quick notes between drenching cloudbursts on the status of the fruit crops growing in their raised beds. The plants were poorly labeled, so I’m…

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SOME INTERESTING PUBLICATIONS

Susan Brook, NAFEX member from Gustavus, sent some information on 2 publications that might interest Alaska readers. The first, A Grower’s Guide to Pruning Highbush Blueberries is a manual available in VHS format ($27.00 plus $3.00 shipping payable to Oregon State Univ.). Although highbush blueberries do not grow well in Alaska, the information might be…

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SOME PEAR POSSIBILITIES

Two Eastern European pears, distributed by the US DA Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, OR are now available for American orchards. ‘Ubileen’ from Bulgaria, is a very early ‘Bartlett’ -type that bears fruit with a red blush. From Belgrade, Yugoslavia comes ‘Shipova’, a cross between mountain ash and pear. Its mountain ash parentage seems to give…

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